AN 


IMAGINARY  HISTORY 


American  Theatre 


PAROM   lcS90   TO  1900. 


By  "  Prospero." 


The  hour's  now  come  : 

The  very  minute  bids  thee  ope  thine  ear  ; 

Obey,  and  be  attentive.'' 


NEW  YORK 

April,  1890. 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


AN 


IMAGINARY  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


American  Theatre 


Prom  1890  to  1900. 


By  "  Prospero." 


11  The  hour's  now  come  ; 
The  very  minute  bids  thee  ope  thine  ear  ; 
Obey,  and  be  attentive.'' 


NEW  YORK: 
April,  1890. 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


DEDICATION. 


To  the  entire  theatrical  profession,  but  more  particularly  to  the  humble 
toilers,  to  neglected  talent  wasted  in  obscurity,  to  the  bright  young  men  and 
women  who  are  willing  to  learn  but  can  find  no  teacher,  and  to  those  whose 
efforts  to  serve  the  art  they  love  are  hampered  by  a  selfish,  mistaken  system 
which  rewards  the  fortunate  few  at  the  expense  of  general  progress  and  pros- 
perity : 

I  offer  you  this  hopeful  dream  as  a  consolation,  as  one  narrates  a  fairy  tale  to 
a  discontented  child  ;  but  as  some  fairy  tales  contain  the  germs  of  truth  and 
wisdom,  so  this  book  may  lead  you  into  thoughts  and  actions  that  will  dispel 
the  darkness  and  reveal  the  light.  If  I  have  made  many  mistakes,  if  I  have  ex- 
aggerated present  evils,  and  seemed  blind  to  the  brighter  side  of  things,  I  ask 
your  pardon  ;  in  condemning  what  is  done  badly,  I  only  seek  to  illustrate  what 
might  be  done  well. 

There  may  be  some  of  you,  perhaps  many,  who  would  wish  to  see  this  imagin- 
ary history  realized.  If  the  greater  number  of  you  feel  that  co-operation  will 
make  your  labors  more  productive  and  your  lives  happier,  and  if  such  co-opera- 
tion will  benefit  the  public  and  is  not  forbidden  by  the  laws  of  our  country,  who 
can  prevent  you  from  joining  hands  and  standing  up  against  any  power  that 
may  oppose  you  ? 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


http://archive.org/details/imaginaryhistoryOOpros 


PREFACE. 


Like  many  other  vocations,  the  stage  is  apparently  over- 
crowded because  not  well  patronized, — full  of  many  failures 
amid  a  few  brilliant  stars  of  success.  The  same  laws  that  op- 
press the  laborer  affect  the  artist,  and  we  all  know  how  much 
there  is  in  this  world  that  seems  dreadfully  wrong  and  unjust. 
The  cry  that  the  few  rich  are  becoming  richer,  and  the  many 
poor  are  growing  poorer,  seems  to  be  based  on  facts.  The 
power  of  monopolists  and  corporations  is  beginning  to  terrify 
thoughtful  men.  The  corruption  that  exists  among  those  in 
high  positions,  the  many  suicides  that  occur,  the  increased  bit- 
terness of  the  struggle  for  existence,  all  this  makes  us  think 
that  the  political,  social,  and  moral  condition  of  the  world  is 
not  what  it  should  be.  Some  of  us  have  gone  through  the  bit- 
ter struggle,  and  are  perhaps  in  a  position  where  we  can  be 
independent  and  careless  about  these  questions;  but  if  we 
will  not  consider  the  thousands  about  us  who  are  less  fortu- 
nate, we  ought  to  think  of  the  children  we  may  have,  and  if 
we  can  make  their  struggle  easier  than  ours  is,  our  lives  will 
have  had  some  purpose.  We  all  think  alike  in  regard  to  pres- 
ent evils  that  exist  among  us ;  we  all  hope  to  see  the  day  when 
men  throughout  the  world  will  be  friendly  with  each  other, 
when  war  will  be  looked  upon  as  murder,  when  the  mainten- 
ance of  an  army  and  fleets  of  steelclad  ships  stocked  with 
death-dealing  weapons,  shall  be  regarded  as  a  barbaric  cus- 
tom, and  an  unnecessary  expenditure  of  the  people's  money. 

We  hope  to  see  the  day  when  the  poor-house  and  the  jail 
will  contain  but  a  handful  of  wretches,  when  charitable  organ- 
izations shall  be  displaced  by  schools  where  young  men  and 


6 


PREFACE. 


women  will  be  taught  how  to  work  and  how  to  live.  And 
surely  we  hope,  in  the  golden  time  to  come,  that  the  greatest  vice 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  drinking  habit,  will  be  checked 
and  regulated.  This  may  be  accomplished  when  the  natural 
craving  of  the  nervous  system  shall  be  fed  with  something 
more  healthy  and  beneficial  than  the  fumes  of  alcohol.  The 
saloon  is  the  sponge  that  drains  the  money  and  manhood  of 
thousands,  and  leaves  them  paupers  and  fools.  But  the  poor 
man  needs  recreation  and  diversion,  and  he  goes  to  the  saloon 
because  it  is  close  at  hand  and  cheap.  If  the  library,  the  art 
gallery,  the  music-hall  and  the  theatre  were  made  as  inviting 
and  convenient  to  him  as  the  saloon,  he  would  not  hesitate  as 
to  the  choice.  If  for  a  comparatively  small  sum  he  could  see 
a  beautiful  play  finely  acted,  or  hear  a  grand  opera  well  sung, 
the  saloon  would  lose  his  patronage  and  the  theatre  would 
gain  it,  while  his  family  would  be  made  happier.  The  stimu- 
lus for  nobler  enjoyment  would  cause  art  to  flourish,  and  the 
demand  would  inspire  the  supply.  The  theatre  as  an  instru- 
ment of  recreation  and  amusement,  if  placed  within  the  reach 
of  the  masses,  would  achieve  glorious  results  for  their  educa- 
tion and  morality. 

To  lower  the  cost  of  art  without  cheapening  its  quality,  that 
has  been  proven  impossible  under  the  present  system  of  the- 
atrical business,  but  it  is  not  impossible  if  that  system  is  en- 
tirely changed. 

The  imaginary  history  which  I  now  submit  *  may  throw 
some  light  on  a  question  that  concerns  us  all ;  and  as  actions 
are  born  of  dreams,  so  ideas  which  seem  Utopian,  if  handled 
by  brave  men  and  women,  may  bring  about  the  change  we 
all  desire. 

*  I  Deed  make  no  apology  for  presenting  this  book  to  actors  and  managers,  be- 
cause I  am  sure  the  subject  is  worth  writing  about;  but  as  to  the  writing  itself,  I 
fear  I  owe  an  humble  apology  to  the  reader  for  my  barren  language  and  crude 
style.  I  am  no  author  and  have  no  pretensions  to  literary  ability,  and  besides, 
the  book  was  written  under  the  pressure  of  haste,  as  I  wished  to  have  it  printed 
and  circulated  before  the  general  closing  of  the  theatrical  season. 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  The  drama,  that  polished  amusement  which  is  numbered  among  the  fine  arts, 
which  poetry,  music  and  painting  have  vied  to  adorn,  to  whose  service  genius 
has  devoted  her  most  sublime  efforts,  while  philosophy  has  stooped  from  her 
loftier  task,  to  regulate  the  progress  of  the  action,  and  give  probability  to  the 
representation  and  personification  of  the  scene."  —Walter  Scott. 

The  stage  has  always  been  a  subject  of  interest,  and  its  his- 
tory has  ever  been  popular  with  the  general  reader.  The 
most  civilized  race  of  ancient  times,  the  Greeks,  loved  the 
theatre  and  cultivated  the  dramatic  art  so  extensively  that  the 
common  people  were  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  drama, 
and  fully  able  to  criticise  and  appreciate  it.  When  literature 
had  lain  dead  for  centuries,  and  at  last  awoke  with  glorious 
strength  in  the  England  of  Elizabeth,  the  theatre  was  recog- 
nized by  Shakespeare  and  his  followers,  as  the  fittest  medium 
in  which  to  ventilate  their  genius.  When  Germany  produced 
Lessing,  Goethe  and  Schiller,  the  theatre  again  was  the  instru- 
ment that  played  the  music  of  these  inspired  souls.  In  the  nine- 
teenth century,  while  Victor  Hugo  was  creating  the  romantic 
drama  of  France,  Walter  Scott  wrote  an  essay  in  praise  of  the 
drama.  And  in  more  modern  days,  Charles  Dickens,  the  most 
popular  genius  of  his  time,  though  he  felt  himself  better 
equipped  as  a  novelist  than  as  a  dramatist,  never  ceased  to 
express  his  love  for  the  theatre  and  his  admiration  for  the 
actor's  art.  Many  volumes  have  been  written  on  the  subject 
of  the  drama,  and  if  this  little  history  purposed  to  speak  on 
the  same  well-worn  subject,  it  could  but  feebly  echo  what  has 
been  better  said  by  others.  But  the  author  has  no  such  in- 
tention, he  merely  will  speak  of  the  great  change  that  has  oc- 
curred during  the  last  ten  years  (1890-1900)  in  the  method  of 
providing  theatrical  amusement  for  the  people.    This  change 


8 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


has  been  so  beneficial  for  the  public,  the  actor,  and  the  art 
itself,  that  a  brief  history  of  how  it  arose,  and  how  it  came  to 
be  adopted,  may  be  welcomed  by  those  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject. As  the  discouraging  condition  of  the  theatre,  financially 
and  artistically,  was  what  inspired  the  abandonment  of  old 
methods  for  new  ones,  it  will  be  necessary  to  state  what  this 
condition  was. 

The  theatre  in  1890  was  not  very  extensive^  and  its  patrons 
comprised  only  a  small  portion  of  the  public.  The  gross  re- 
ceipts during  the  year  1889  for  theatrical  amusement  in  the 
United  States  amounted  to  about  $15,000,000;  the  prices  of  ad- 
mission ranged  from  25  cts.  to  $1.50,  and  the  average  price  was 
75  cts.,  indicating  an  attendance  of  20,000,000.  Thus  of  a  pop- 
ulation estimated  at  60,000,000,  one-third  visited  the  theatre 
once  a  year,  and  the  average  amount  expended  by  each  man, 
woman  and  child  was  25  cts.  per  year.  This  seems  a  very 
small  amount  to  devote  to  that  lovely  art  generally  regarded 
as  one  of  the  highest  forms  of  enjoyment,  but  the  reasons  for 
this  meagre  public  support  were  plainly  apparent.  The  thea- 
tre, instead  of  being  enjoyed  by  the  masses  as  in  the  days  of 
civilized  Athens,  was  a  luxury  for  the  few,  and  debarred  from 
the  many  on  account  of  its  high  price.  This  high  price  re- 
sulted from  an  expensive  and  mistaken  business  system  which 
was  injuring  not  only  the  theatre,  but  the  entire  commercial 
world.  The  principal  vices  of  this  system  were  individualism 
and  competition,  the  enemies  of  harmony  and  combined 
strength.  In  Edward  Bellamy's  great  work  "  Looking  Back- 
ward "  these  evils  were  attacked  in  so  sensible  and  forcible  a 
manner  as  to  create  an  unusual  stir  among  many  classes,  and 
as  much  of  what  he  said  applied  directly  to  the  business  sys- 
tem of  the  theatrical  profession,  certain  extracts  taken  from 
his  book  may  be  consistently  presented  here.  Bellamy,  look- 
ing backward  from  the  golden  year  2000  to  our  dark,  threaten- 
ing age,  says : 

" '  What  shall  I  eat  and  drink  and  wherewithal  shall  I  be 
clothed?'  stated  as  a  problem  beginning  and  ending  in  self, 
had  been  an  anxious  and  an  endless  one.  But  when  once  it 
was  conceived,  not  from  the  individual,  but  the  fraternal 
standpoint,  '  what  shall  we  eat  and  drink,  and  wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed?'  its  difficulties  vanished.  The  fear  of 
want  and  the  lust  of  gain  became  extinct  motives,  when  abun- 
dance was  assured  to  all  and  immoderate  possessions  made  im- 
possible of  attainment," 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


9 


"  Competition,  which  is  the  instinct  of  selfishness,  is  another 
word  for  dissipation  of  energy,  while  combination  is  the  secret 
of  efficient  production,  and  not  till  the  idea  of  increasing  the 
individual  hoard  gives  place  to  the  idea  of  increasing  the  com- 
mon stock,  can  industrial  combination  be  realized,  and  the 
acquisition  of  wealth  really  begin." 

"  Their  misery  came  from  that  incapacity  for  co-operation, 
from  the  inability  to  perceive  that  thi-y  could  make  ten  times 
more  profit  out  of  their  fellow-men  by  uniting  with  them, 
than  by  contending  with  them." 

"  The  umbrella  illustrates  the  old  way  when  everybody  lived 
for  himself  and  his  family.  There  is  a  nineteenth  century 
painting  in  the  art  gallery  representing  a  crowd  of  people  in 
the  rain,  each  one  holding  his  umbrella  over  himself  and  his 
wife,  and  giving  his  neighbors  the  drippings,  which  must  have 
been  meant  by  the  artist  as  a  satire  on  his  times." 

"  It  is  easier  for  a  general  up  in  a  balloon,  with  perfect  sur- 
vey of  the  field,  to  manoeuvre  a  million  men  to  victory,  than 
for  a  sergeant  to  manage  a  platoon  in  a  thicket." 

"A  regiment  was  passing.  Here  at  last  were  order  and  rea- 
son, an  exhibition  of  what  intelligent  co-operation  can  accom- 
plish. The  people  who  stood  looking  on  with  kindling  faces 
— could  it  be  that  the  sight  had  for  them  no  more  than  a  spec- 
tacular interest  ?  Could  they  fail  to  see  that  it  was  their  per- 
fect concert  of  action,  their  organization  under  one  control, 
which  made  these  men  the  tremendous  engine  they  were,  able 
to  vanquish  a  mob  ten  times  as  numerous?  Seeing  this  so 
plainly,  could  they  fail  to  compare  the  scientific  manner  in 
which  the  nation  went  to  war  with  the  unscientific  manner  in 
which  it  went  to  work?  "Would  they  not  ask  why  the  killing 
of  men  was  deemed  so  important  a  task  that  a  trained  army 
should  be  deemed  alone  inadequate,  while  the  feeding  and 
clothing  of  men  was  left  to  a  mob  ? " 

"  The  folly  of  men,  not  their  hard-heartedness,  was  the  great 
cause  of  the  world's  poverty.  It  was  not  the  crime  of  man,  or 
of  any  class  of  men,  that  made  the  race  so  miserable,  but  a 
hideous,  ghastly  mistake,  a  colossal  world -darkening  blunder." 

I  have  said  these  extracts  from  Bellamy  applied  to  the  sys- 
tem of  theatrical  business,  and  to  justify  my  statement,  I  will 
now  describe  the  former  mode  of  providing  amusement  for  the 
public. 


10 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  II. 

"Some  people  are  busy,  and  yet  do  nothing  ;  they  fatigue  and  wear  themselves 
out,  and  yet  drive  at  no  point. ''—Marcus  Aureliis. 

In  1889  there  were  some  300  companies,  composed  of  about 
5,100  persons,  engaged  in  theatrical  business.  These  companies 
were  divided  into  four  classes,  viz.,  50  first  class  artistically  and 
financially,  75  second  class  (artistically  mediocre,  financially 
fair),  75  third  class  cheap  prices  (artistically  bad,  financially 
fair  to  disastrous),  100  second-class  attempts  and  caterers  to 
country  towns  (artistically  bad  to  pitiful,  financially  hand-to- 
mouth).  They  were  all,  with  a  few  exceptions,  under  separate 
management,  each  attraction  being  a  piece  of  theatrical  prop- 
erty to  be  disposed  of  to  the  public,  for  the  profit  of  its  owners. 

The  managers  were  merchants,  and  their  stock  of  goods  was 
an  entertainment  which  the  public  paid  a  certain  price  to 
witness. 

As  each  manager  possessed  only  one  kind  of  entertainment, 
and  as  theatre-goers  formed  but  a  small  portion  of  the  public, 
a  paying  patronage  lasted  but  a  short  time  in  one  city  for  a 
single  attraction,  and  the  manager  would  then  remove  his 
property  to  another  city,  where  he  again  presented  his  enter- 
tainment to  the  theatre-goers,  and  after  having  exhausted 
their  patronage,  once  more  moved  on  to  places  not  yet  visited. 

The  average  length  of  these  visits  was  one  or  two  weeks  in 
the  larger  cities,  and  one  to  three  nights  in  small  towns. 

The  cost  of  moving  these  companies  over  the  country 
amounted  to  about  $750,000  annually,  being  5#  of  the  gross  re- 
ceipts of  $15,000,000.  This  railroad  expense  taxed  the  profita- 
ble companies  much  more  lightly  than  their  less  successful 
business  associates,  as  it  frequently  happened  that  three  com- 
panies had  the  same  railroad  expense,  though  their  receipts 
widely  differed.  Three  companies,  carrying  the  same  number 
of  people,  and  covering  the  same  territory,  would  pay  each 
about  $200  weekly,  and  their  gross  receipts  would  amount  to 
$8,000,  $5,000,  and  $3,000.    Thus  the  percentages  paid  the  rail- 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


1  1 


roads  were  24£,  4£,  and  6$#,  the  least  profitable  of  the  companies 
being  taxed  the  heaviest. 

It  was  not  unusual  for  a  less  important  company  in  playing 
towns  one  night  each,  to  have  a  travelling  expense  of  $150 
weekly,  with  average  receipts  of  $1,500,  which  gave  the  rail- 
road 10%. 

This  travelling  system  by  which  the  railroads  received  5;/  of 
the  money  expended  by  the  public  for  amusements  was  un- 
avoidable, as  theatrical  property  was  so  divided  by  individual 
ownership  that  the  only  way  to  reach  the  public  was  to  carry 
the  goods  to  be  sold  from  town  to  town,  like  a  peddler  vend- 
ing his  little  stock  over  an  extensive  field. 

It  was  necessary,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  each  company 
should  plan  its  route  long  before  starting  on  its  journey,  and 
this  "  date-booking'1  process  required  much  forethought  and 
knowledge,  though  with  uncertain  attractions  it  was  more  in 
the  nature  of  a  speculation.  It  constantly  happened  that 
some  company  had  contracted  to  play  in  a  certain  theatre  a 
given  period,  but  the  business  would  prove  bad  in  that  par- 
ticular house,  and  the  lengthened  stay  unprofitable;  as  the 
time,  however,  had  been  agreed  upon,  the  loss  had  to  be 
borne,  and  it  usually  fell  most  heavily  on  the  company. 

Again,  where  good  fortune  befell  an  attraction  a  longer  stay 
would  have  been  profitable,  but  others  having  engaged  the 
time  beyond  and  the  company  having  bound  itself  elsewhere, 
it  was  compelled  to  relinquish  the  profits  close  at  hand. 

As  the  important  cities  throughout  the  United  States  were 
so  widely  apart,  the  expense  of  travelling  could  only  be  re- 
duced by  playing  in  the  smaller  towns  on  the  way,  though 
these  towns  could  hardly  furnish  sufficient  patronage  to  make 
the  visit  of  a  large  company  profitable.  If  any  accident  or 
delay  occurred  during  a  long  trip,  the  destination  would  not 
be  reached  in  time,  and  as  a  result  the  company  would  miss  a 
night's  work,  which  caused  a  loss,  as  when  a  merchant  is  com- 
pelled to  close  his  store,  being  deprived  of  his  income  for  a 
day,  and  his  employees  suffer  enforced  idleness  in  consequence. 

Many  miscalculations  occurred  involving  a  waste  of  capital 
and  energy,  and  much  confusion  resulted  from  competition 
and  individual  effort,  because  those  engaged  in  the  same  in- 
dustry had  no  knowledge  of  their  associates'  movements,  and 
no  desire  to  work  in  concert  with  them.  Instead  of  gaining 
the  public's  patronage  economically  and  harmoniously,  it  was 
fought  for  expensively  and  antagonistically. 


12 


AN   IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  The  walls  of  the  buildings,  the  windows,  the  broadsides  of  the  newspapers  in 
every  hand,  the  very  pavements,  everything  in  fact  in  sight,  save  the  sky,  were 
covered  with  appeals  of  individuals  who  sought,  under  innumerable  pretexts,  to 
attract  the  contributions  of  others  to  their  support.  However  the  wording  might 
vary,  the  tenor  of  all  these  appeals  was  the  same  :  '  Help  John  Jones.  Never 
mind  the  rest.  They  are  frauds.  I,  John  Jones,  am  the  right  one.  Buy  of  me. 
Employ  me.  Visit  me.  Hear  me,  John  Jones.  Look  at  me.  Make  no  mistake, 
John  Jones  is  the  man  and  nobody  else.  Let  the  rest  starve,  but  for  God's  sake 
remember  John  Jones ! 1  Whether  the  pathos,  or  the  moral  repulsiveness  of  the 
spectacle,  most  impressed  me,  I  know  not.  Wretched  men,  I  was  moved  to  cry, 
who,  because  they  will  not  learn  to  be  helpers  of  one  another,  are  doomed  to  be 
beggars  of  one  another  from  the  least  to  the  greatest.  Were  these  serious  men 
I  saw  about  me,  or  children,  who  did  their  business  on  such  a  plan?  "-Edward 
Bellamy  in  "  Looking  Backward." 

An  expense  as  great  as  that  of  railroad  travel,  was  the  ad- 
vertising in  newspapers,  and  the  displaying  of  all  sorts  of  pic- 
torial printing  in  places  most  likely  to  attract  the  notice  of  the 
people. 

The  annual  cost  of  advertising  the  various  attractions  was 
about  $750,000,  being  another  o%  of  the  total  receipts  of  $15,- 
000,000.  It  was  necessary  to  inform  theatre-goers  about  the 
entertainments  to  be  presented,  and  the  regular  announce- 
ments in  the  daily  papers  placed  this  information  within  the 
reach  of  all.  The  people  were  apparently  willing  to  expend 
$15,000,000  for  their  amusement,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to 
enlighten  them  as  to  the  form  of  entertainment,  and  the  price 
of  admission,  leaving  them  to  choose  according  to  their  taste. 

Had  only  this  mode  of  advertising  been  indulged  in,  the  cost 
would  have  been  about  1%  of  the  gross  receipts  instead  of  5£, 
but  this  simple  method  was  not  possible  when  the  attractions 
were  divided  among  many  owners,  each  of  whom  was  working 
for  his  own  interest,  and  seeking  patronage  for  his  property 
alone.  Every  device  was  made  use  of  by  the  manager  of  each 
company  to  draw  the  public,  not  to  the  theatre  in  general,  but 
to  the  particular  entertainment  in  which  the  manager  was 
interested,  and  as  a  result  the  quantity  of  advertising  was 
largely  increased,  and  the  style  of  conveying  information  ab- 


THE   AM  KIMCAN  THEATRE. 


13 


surdly  exaggerated.  Not  only  were  the  newspaper  advertise- 
ments extended,  but  lithographs  and  show-bills  were  distrib- 
uted about  a  city,  in  store  windows,  on  buildings,  boards,  in 
fact  wherever  they  could  be  easily  seen.  As  these  pictures  and 
glaring  sheets  were  scattered  about  without  any  regard  to 
their  surroundings  or  position,  they  were  usually  mere  eye- 
sores to  intelligent  people,  and  only  served  with  other  adver- 
tisements of  soap,  patent  medicines,  etc.,  to  mar  the  beauty 
of  the  city's  thoroughfares. 

There  were  indeed  a  few  of  the  curious  and  unthinking  who 
might  be  induced  by  the  startling  nature  of  some  of  these 
prints  to  visit  the  entertainment,  but  the  public  in  general 
were  well  aware  of  the  inaccuracy  and  self-laudation  that  per- 
vaded this  form  of  advertising,  and  looked  with  indifference 
or  contempt  upon  the  franctic  efforts  of  managers  to  persuade 
theatre-goers,  that  they  alone  possessed  the  "  greatest  Ameri- 
can play"  or  the  "  most  popular  American  actor."  The  really 
meritorious  attractions  required  but  little  advertising,  as  the 
good  impression  they  made  was  circulated  by  their  audiences ; 
but  many  managers  possessed  property  that  failed  to  please, 
and  made  no  impression  that  could  be  depended  on  to  secure 
continued  patronage,  and  in  their  endeavors  to  make  their 
business  profitable  they  would  announce  in  all  forms  of  ex- 
tensive advertising,  how  very  successful  their  entertainment 
was,  hoping  by  this  falsehood  to  draw  that  class  of  auditors 
who  rush  to  see  wrhat  the  most  hubbub  is  made  about.  Many 
plays  were  kept  before  the  public  by  the  glamour  of  their  ad- 
vertisements, more  than  by  any  merit  deserving  of  success, 
and  bad  actors  were  puffed  and  praised  for  commercial  rea- 
sons, the  occasional  lance  of  an  honest  critic  having  little  effect 
on  their  hard  hides.  To  be  known  and  talked  about,  to  have 
reputation  in  quantity  (its  quality  was  a  second  consideration) 
and  to  have  one's  name  as  much  as  possible  in  theatrical  cir- 
culation, all  this  had  a  commercial  value  as  advertising  mat- 
ter, though  of  course  it  wras  indulged  in  chiefly  by  the  vulgar 
pretenders  and  disliked  by  sensible  artists. 

But  advertising  and  self-praise  wrere  practised  more  or  less 
by  ail  classes,  not  because  men  were  vain  or  desirous  of  deceiv- 
ing the  public,  but  because  competition  compelled  merit  to 
battle  against  pretension  with  its  own  weapons. 


14 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"  To  some  she  is  the  goddess  great, 
To  some  the  milch  cow  of  the  field  ; 
Their  care  is  but  to  calculate 
What  butter  she  will  i-ieM.'1— Schiller. 

"  1  Work  must  be  done,  and  some  one  must  be  at  the  top,  some  one  at  the  bot- 
tom.'' Granted,  my  friends.  Work  must  always  be  ;  and  captains  of  work  must 
always  be.  But  there  is  a  wide  difference  betw  een  being  captains  or  governors 
of  work,  and  taking  the  profits  of  it.  It  does  not  follow,  because  you  are  general 
of  an  arm}-,  that  you  are  to  take  all  the  treasure,  or  land,  it  wins  ;  neither  lie- 
cause  you  are  king  of  a  nation,  that  you  are  to  consume  all  the  profits  of  the  na- 
tion's work. "—John  Ruskin. 

We  bave  said  that  the  various  companies  were  with  a  few 
exceptions  under  separate  control.  These  exceptions  consisted 
of  about  15  managers  who  were  interested  in  more  than  one 
company  or  theatre,  and  in  the  gradual  growth  of  these  larger 
interests,  it  was  evident  that  the  theatrical  business  was  soon 
to  be  burdened  with  that  same  system  of  monopoly  which  had 
already  spread  itself  through  the  industrial  and  commercial 
world.  The  15  managers  controlled  about  40  companies  and 
50  theatres  (consisting  mainly  of  the  most  important  and  valu- 
able) averaging  6  enterprises  each.  As  each  of  these  six  com- 
panies or  theatres  had  the  advantage  of  co-operation,  and 
worked  harmoniously  with  instead  of  competitively  against 
each  other,  they  were  for  the  most  part  financially  successful, 
and  the  15  managers  grew  rapidly  wealthy.  This  apparent 
virtue  of  monopoly  is  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Bellamy :  "  Oppressive 
and  intolerable  as  was  the  regime  of  the  great  consolidations 
of  capital,  even  its  victims  were  forced  to  admit  the  vast  econo- 
mies effected  by  concentration  of  management  and  unity  of 
organization,  and  that  since  the  new  system  had  taken  the 
place  of  the  old,  the  wealth  of  the  world  had  increased  at  a 
rate  undreamed  of.  To  be  sure  this  vast  increase  had  gone 
chiefly  to  make  the  rich  richer,  increasing  the  gap  between 
them  and  the  poor;  but  the  fact  remained  that,  as  a  means 
merely  of  producing  wealth,  capital  had  been  proved  efficient 
in  proportion  to  its  consolidation.11 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


15 


Though  it  was  not  generally  thought  that  monopoly  had 
spread  itself  to  any  great  extent  in  the  theatrical  business,  it 
had  really  assumed  vast  proportions,  when  we  consider  the 
amount  of  business  done  by  the  few,  compared  to  the  many. 
Add  to  the  above-mentioned  15  managers,  the  5  most  import- 
ant (financially)  of  theatrical  "stars,1'  and  estimating  the  busi- 
ness done  by  this  group  of  twenty,  we  discover  that  the  gross 
receipts  of  their  enterprises  amounted  during  the  year  to 
about  $7,500,000,  or  in  other  words  one  half  of  the  entire  the- 
atrical receipts  ($15,000,000)  was  controlled  and  its  profits 
shared  by  20  men. 

Among  these  eminent  twenty  were  several  managers  who 
with  the  five  theatrical  "  stars  "  were  entirely  worthy  of  the 
financial  success  they  enjoyed;  these  managers  considered  not 
only  money  but  art,  and  had  gained  an  honorable  reputation 
by  handling  attractions  of  high  excellence,  Avhile  the  "  stars  " 
were  actors  whose  talents  upheld  the  dignity  of  the  theatre, 
and  delighted  the  public.  If  their  financial  reward  seemed 
too  large  compared  to  that  of  the  great  majority,  it  was  no 
fault  of  theirs,  but  simply  the  result  of  that  freedom  which 
encourages  individual  effort  regardless  of  others,  instead  of 
combined  effort  for  the  benefit  of  all.  But  though  these 
worthy  managers  and  stars  were  not  begrudged  their  reward, 
there  were  others  among  the  twenty  who  did  not  deserve  the 
large  profits  which  came  to  them.  They  were  not  theatrical 
managers  according  to  the  true  definition,  that  is,  one  who 
conducts  the  business  affairs  of  a  theatre  or  company,  and 
who,  by  exercising  the  practical,  aids  and  protects  the  artistic 
element.  On  the  contrary,  the  sole  purpose  of  these  men  was 
financial  gain,  without  regard  or  respect  for  art.  To  them  the 
theatre  was  a  shop  for  the  sale  of  goods,  the  play  was  the  mer- 
chandise, and  the  actors  were  the  instruments  used  to  help 
make  the  merchandise  attractive.  Though  their  money-mak- 
ing ability  enabled  them  to  gather  a  financial  harvest  for 
themselves,  their  utter  lack  of  artistic  conscience  was  a  serious 
injury  to  the  health  and  progress  of  the  drama. 


16 


AN  IMAGINAKY  HISTOJRY  OF 


CHAPTER  V. 

"Thus man  pursues  his  weary  calling, 
And  wrings  the  hard  life  from  the  sky, 
"While  happiness  unseen  is  falling 
Down  from  God's  bosom  silently/1— Schiller. 

" '  There  must  be  classes— there  must  be  rich  and  poor  11  Dives  says,  smacking 
his  claret— (it  is  well  if  he  even  sends  the  broken  meat  out.  to  Lazarus  sitting 
under  the  window).  Very  true;  but  think  how  mysterious  and  often  unaccount- 
able it  is,  that  lottery  of  life  which  gives  to  this  man  the  purple  and  fine  linen, 
and  sends  to  the  other  rags  for  garments  and  dogs  for  comforters.1''— Thackeray. 

I?*  Chapter  II.  we  mentioned  the  classes  into  which  the  300 
companies  A^ere  divided,  and  spoke  of  100  as  "  second-class  at- 
tempts and  caterers  to  country  towns  (artistically  bad  to  pitiful, 
financially  hand-to-mouth)."  As  this  description  seems  rather 
harsh,  we  will  explain  more  fully  about  the  theatres  in  the 
many  small  towns,  and  the  companies  who  played  there. 

With  few  exceptions  the  theatres  were  rude  halls,  with  small 
stages,  comfortless  alike  to  the  auditor  and  actor;  in  a  few 
towns  some  philanthropic  citizens  of  wealth  had  erected  fine 
theatres,  but  the  vast  majority  of  small  towns  could  not  boast 
of  any  place  at  all  suitable  for  theatrical  entertainment.  The 
managers  of  these  theatres  were  for  the  most  part  engaged  in 
some  other  business  (dry  goods,  hats,  shoes,  books,  etc.)  as  the 
theatrical  business  was  too  small  and  unimportant  to  deserve 
much  of  their  attention.  In  consequence  of  this,  many  of 
them  were  not  managers  at  all,  and  knew  very  little  about 
theatrical  affairs,  their  only  object  being  to  get  a  profitable 
rental  out  of  their  buildings.  As  their  expenses  were  very 
moderate  (the  furnishing  of  orchestra,  stage  accessories,  etc., 
being  usually  wretched  and  inadequate),  they  would  book 
many  more  companies  than  could  possibly  find  patronage,  and 
the  loss  resulting  from  this  mixture  of  stupidity  and  selfish- 
ness, fell  almost  entirely  on  the  companies,  whose  share  of  the 
small  receipts  did  not  cover  their  expense. 

As  to  the  companies  who  visited  these  towns,  what  can  be 
said?    They  were  the  very  poor  (financially  and  artistically)  of 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


17 


the  profession,  unable  to  get  a  footing  in  the  larger  cities,  as 
Bellamy  says  of  the  small  tradesmen:  " Existing  in  fields  too 
small  for  the  great  capitalists,  reduced  to  the  condition  of  rats 
and  mice,  living  in  holes  and  corners,  and  counting  on  evad- 
ing notice  for  the  enjoyment  of  existence.11 

These  humble  companies,  composed  of  1,200  toilers,  had  in 
their  ranks  much  real  talent,  but  it  was  cut  oft*  from  the  world, 
and  through  lack  of  opportunity  frequently  perished  amid  the 
obscurity  where  it  began.  Many  of  these  stragglers  were 
called  " barn-stormers "  and  "play-pirates,11  because  of  their 
playing  chiefly  in  theatres  no  better  than  barns,  and  because 
of  their  producing  certain  successful  dramas  that  did  not  be- 
long to  them.  This  play-piracy  was  not  a  very  serious  offence, 
as  the  field  which  these  needy  companies  occupied  was  so 
barren,  that  the  owner  of  a  really  successful  play  seldom 
offered  his  property  for  sale  there.  The  financial  condition 
of  these  100  country  companies  was  deplorable;  with  little 
theatrical  property  in  good  plays,  artistic  strength  in  actors, 
or  executive  ability  in  managers,  they  for  the  most  part 
barely  succeeded  in  earning  a  precarious  livelihood.  So- 
cially, their  lives  were  "  stale,  flat  and  unprofitable 11  to  a  pa- 
thetic degree ;  exiled  from  the  art  influence  of  the  large  cities, 
relying  for  their  encouragement  on  the  ill-timed  plaudits 
of  country  louts,  oppressed  by  the  solitude  of  a  small  town 
without  enjoying  its  home  comforts,  what  opportunity  was 
there  for  personal  happiness  or  intellectual  advancement? 
Yet,  among  these  1,200  exiles  were  many  artistic  natures,  ambi- 
tious souls,  tender  hearts,  who  vainly  strove  for  light  amid 
the  darkness  that  surrounded  them. 
2 


18 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTOKY  OF 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  The  sensual  supphy  of  sight  and  sound  will  cause  an  audience  to  grow  too 
hard  for  sense  and  simple  nature.1'— Colley  Cibber. 

"Among  the  Romans  the  fine  arts  were  introduced  as  a  corrupting  article  of 
luxury  ;  they  carried  this  luxury  so  far  with  respect  to  the  theatre  itself,  that 
the  perfection  in  essentials  was  sacrificed  to  the  accessories  of  embellishment. 
The  relation  which  Pliny  gives  of  the  architectural  decoration  of  the  stage 
erected  by  Scaurus,  borders  on  the  incredible.  When  magnificence  could  be  car- 
ried no  farther,  they  endeavored  to  surprise  by  mechanical  contrivances.  In 
the  gratification  of  the  eye,  that  of  the  ear  was  altogether  lost.— Schlegel. 

"The  instant  that  the  increasing  refinement  or  finish  of  the  picture  causes  a 
loss  of  the  faintest  shadow  of  an  idea,  that  instant  all  refinement  or  finish  is  an 
excrescence  and  a  deformity. "—John  Ruskin. 

The  theatres  in  the  large  cities  were  far  superior  to  those  in 
the  small  towns,  and  some  of  them  were  elegant  and  costly, 
situated  in  the  most  populous  thoroughfares  where  real  estate 
was  most  valuable  and  rent  very  high.  The  managers  share 
of  the  gross  receipts  usually  amounted  to  about  50£,  for  which 
he  furnished  his  theatre,  musicians,  stage  hands,  ushers,  ad- 
vertisements in  the  newspapers,  scenery,  properties,  light,  heat, 
etc.  His  largest  expense  was  the  rent  of  the  building,  which 
varied  from  $10,000  to  $30,000  annually  according  to  location, 
and  as  the  theatres  had  no  income  during  15  weeks  of  the 
summer  season,  the  rent  amounted  to  from  $500  to  $700  for 
each  week  of  the  regular  theatrical  season. 

Another  great  outlay  was  the  expenditure  for  stage  decora- 
tion, which  was  indulged  into  such  an  extent  that  it  frequently 
was  entirely  out  of  harmony  with  the  work  of  the  actor  and 
dramatist.  This  expensive  discord  was  brought  about  by  the 
scarcity  of  good  actors  and  dramatists;  having  little  material 
in  the  way  of  good  plays  and  actors,  the  managers  sought  to 
atone  for  the  deficiency  by  a  lavish  display  of  scenery,  etc.,  to 
please  the  eye  if  not  the  mind  of  the  audience.  It  was  gener- 
ally recognized  that  excessive  decoration  is  injurious  to  art,  but 
the  fault  was  old  in  the  history  of  the  drama,  and  it  served  to 
illustrate  how  luxury  will  corrupt  and  weaken  art  as  well  as 
men.    The  drama  which  attained  its  perfection  among  the 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


19 


Greeks,  was  presented  with  the  simplest  surroundings ;  later 
on  the  Romans  made  it  a  spectacle  and  a  show,  and  under  that 
influence  the  art  languished  and  died.  When  it  arose  after  its 
sleep  of  a  thousand  years,  it  again  readied  its  perfection  while 
presented  by  Shakespeare  and  his  contemporaries  with  rude, 
simple  decorations;  and  later  it  met  with  the  same  injurious 
treatment  as  that  which  caused  the  decay  of  ancient  art. 
What  the  Romans  did  with  Grecian  art,  Davenant  did  with 
Elizabethan  art  ;  he  made  the  theatre  a  luxury,  and  dressed 
the  stage  in  such  bright  and  gaudy  colors,  as  to  obscure  and 
deform  the  true  meaning  and  beauty  of  the  drama. 

However,  the  theatre  in  1890  was  not  yet  looked  upon  as  in 
a  state  of  decay,  though  many  acknowledged  the  danger  of 
the  faults  that  burdened  it,  among  which  excessive  decoration 
was  only  one.  An  eminent  dramatist-  went  so  far  as  to  main- 
tain that  the  rude  stage  of  Shakespeare  ought  to  be  returned 
to,  but  this  view  was  regarded  as  unnecessarily  extreme. 

While  the  dressing  of  the  stage  was  elaborate,  the  accommo- 
dations for  the  actors  were  neglected,  and  shabby  dressing- 
rooms  were  the  rule  in  the  better  class  of  theatres,  f  As  to  the 
average  "  opera  houses"  and  "halls1'  in  the  small  towns,  they 
were  simply  barbarous  and  disgusting. 


*  "  I  honestly  believe  it  were  better  for  the  drama  to  return  to  the  primitive 
condition  of  the  Shakespearian  period,  where  there  was  no  scenery,  where  the 
poet  relied  on  his  power  to  conjure  the  scene." — Dion  Boucicault  in  the  Dra- 
matic Mirror. 

+  "  Your  auditoriums  are,  as  a  rule,  handsomer  and  larger  than  those  in  Eng- 
land ;  but  such  theatres  as  we  have  played  in  in  this  county-  have  impressed  me 
with  their  inadequacy  behind  the  scenes.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  convenience 
of  those  who  work  is  not  sufficiently  considered.  Most  of  the  theatres  we  have 
acted  in  have  been  close,  dirty,  ill-ventilated,  and  I  can't  believe  healthy.  Of 
course,  it  is  eminently  proper  that  the  comfort  of  the  patrons  of  the  drama 
should  be  carefully  looked  after,  but  I  also  believe  that  the  artist  should  have 
some  consideration  paid  to  his  wants  and  needs.'"— W.  H.  Kendal's  "Impres- 
sions of  America." 


20  AN    1  81  AGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"  For  'tis  a  truth  well  known  to  most, 
That  whatsoever  thing  is  lost, 
We  seek  it,  e.  e  it  come  to  light, 
In  every  cranny  but  the  right."— Cowper. 

"Although  the  pursuit  of  wealth  is  not  favorable  to  intellectual  life,  the  incon- 
veniences of  poverty  are  even  less  favorable  to  it."— Hamerton. 

Haying  mentioned  the  chief  features  in  the  system  of  con- 
ducting theatrical  business  in  1889,  we  will  now  speak  of  the 
financial  results  of  that  system,  leaving  the  artistic  and  social 
results  to  be  discussed  later.  The  heavy  expense  of  rental  of 
theatres,  stage  decoration,  railroad  transportation,  and  adver- 
tising, with  the  generally  poor  patronage  of  the  public  on  ac- 
count of  high  prices,  made  it  impossible  to  pay  good  salaries 
to  actors,  and  as  the  expenses  alluded  to  were  invariably  paid 
before  the  actors,  it  happened  naturally  that  the  actors  received 
what  was  left  over.  They  realized  the  truth  of  the  saying  that 
"  those  who  come  last  get  least,"  and  it  frequently  happened 
after  the  expenses  deemed  more  important  than  the  actor's 
work  had  been  paid,  that  nothing  at  all  was  left  for  the  actor. 
The  company  would  then  be  discontinued,  the  actors  received 
a  "  promise  to  pay  "  which  was  usually  valueless,  and  after  a 
period  of  idleness,  they  would  again  try  their  luck  in  an  enter- 
prise where  the  actor's  services  were  the  most  necessary,  while 
the  reward  for  those  services  was  the  least  considered.  When 
we  remember  that  theatrical  employment  only  existed  during 
30  or  35  weeks  of  the  year,  it  can  be  safely  said  that  the  aver- 
age income  of  actors  and  actresses  was  no  larger  than  that  of 
mechanics  or  even  clerks,  though  the  nature  of  their  work  was 
of  a  higher  and  more  difficult  order.  The  small  salaries  paid 
in  America  were  nevertheless  considered  to  be  better  than  in 
other  countries,*  though  that  supposition  is  questionable  when 

*  "  When  we  hear  of  actors  receiving  £30,  £40,  or  even  £60  a  week,  it  is  as 
well  to  bear  in  mind  that,  while  such  salaries  are  not  unknown,  they  are  very  ex- 
ceptional. Some  who  read  of  such  payments  in  the  newspaper  columns  de- 
voted to  theatrical  gossip  conclude  that  they  represent  th«  ordinary  remunera- 


THE   AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


21 


we  observe  the  gradual  reduction  of  the  average  American 
actor's  salary,  and  the  shortness  of  the  working  season,  f  There 
were  indeed  a  select  few  of  the  foremost  managers  and  the- 
atrical stars  whose  profits  were  enormous,  but  their  princely 
income  only  served  to  lower  the  general  income. 

The  following  statement  will  more  clearly  indicate  the  actual 
financial  return  for  the  actors1  and  managers'  services: 

Gross  receipts  in  1889,  $15,000,000 

Expenses : 

Rental  of  theatres  and  appurtenances  (50$,  $7,500,000 
Railroad  fares  and  advertising  (10#),  1,500,000 

$9,000,000 
$6,000,000 

Estimated  income  of  40  leading  people  (20  man- 
agers, 15  theatrical  "stars"  and  play-owners, 
5  foreign  artists),  $2,000,000 

Paid  for  the  services  of  5,100  actors  and  managers,  $4,000,000 

The  favored  forty  received  $2,000,000  at  an  average  of  $50,000 

tion  of  the  player.  Such,  however,  is  far  from  being  the  case.  Even  in  London 
there  are  many  theatres  well  frequented  by  the  best  class  of  playgoers  where  no 
such  high  terms  are  paid,  and  the  instances  are  few  indeed  where  more  than  one 
or  two  such  payments  are  found  together  on  the  same  salary  list.  The  vast 
majority  of  actors  ply  their  calling  from  youth  to  old  age  without  attaining,  and 
it  may  be  said  in  most  cases  without  any  expectation  of  attaining,  the  receipt  of 
£10  a  week.  Indeed,  little  more  than  half  that  sum  maybe  considered  as  the 
average  remuneration  of  theatrical  labor  in  London,  while  on  the  provincial 
boards  it  ranges  at  even  a  more  moderate  figure  still,  and  the  big  exceptions 
are  there  practically  unknown. " — London  Saturday  Review,  February,  1S90. 

t  We  have  supplemented  our  knowledge  of  the  subject  of  salaries  by  data 
placed  at  our  disposal  by  the  leading  dramatic  agents  of  the  city.  Speaking 
generally,  salaries  are  now  no  lower,  so  far  as  the  best  class  of  artists  is  con- 
cerned, than  heretofore.  But  among  actors  of  inferior  grade- such  as  maybe 
rated  second  and  third  class— there  has  been  a  uniform  falling  off,  the  average 
reduction  being  from  one-fourth  to  one-third  below  the  scale  that  prevailed  three 
and  four  seasons  ago.  The  tendency  is  to  sustain  the  pay  of  good  actors  and  re- 
duce the  pay  of  ordinary  actors.  As  to  length  of  seasons,  the  leading  at- 
tractions play  about  the  same  number  of  weeks  this  year  as  during  the  past  ten 
or  twelve  years.  The  principal  stars  act  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  weeks,  some 
even  longer.  The  weaker  attractions  do  not  prolong  their  travels  for  terms  of 
similar  duration.  Their  tours  depend  upon  their  relative  drawing  powers.  From 
twenty  to  twenty-four  weeks  is  their  usual  length.  To  briefly  sum  up,  it  maybe 
said  that  the  strong  stars  and  companies  stay  out  as  long  as  they  wish,  and 
that  the  weak  stars  and  companies  stay  out  as  long  as  they  can.'"— New  York 
Dramatic  Mirror,  March  8,  1890. 


22 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


each,  making  their  weekly  income  during  the  30  theatrical 
weeks  of  the  year  $1,666.67;  average  weekly  income  throughout 
the  year,  $961.54.  The  5,100  actors  and  managers  received 
$4,000,000  at  an  average  of  $784.31  each,  making  their  weekly 
income  during  the  30  theatrical  weeks  of  the  year  $26. 14 ;  weekly 
income  throughout  the  year,  $15.08. 

Thus  forty  persons  enjoyed  an  average  income  amounting 
to  almost  63  times  as  much  as  that  of  their  5,100  associates  in 
the  theatrical  business.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  same  great 
gap  that  separated  the  monopolist  and  the  laborer,  existed 
under  smaller  conditions  in  the  theatrical  profession.  While 
the  average  actor  was  needy,  shiftless,  without  a  home,  with 
a  discouraging  future,  a  very  few  of  his  associates  were  enjoy- 
ing a  splendid  income.  The  favored  few  were  not  to  be  blamed 
for  taking  advantage  of  a  business  system  which  enriched 
them  while  it  impoverished  the  great  majority;  they  were 
simply  taking  the  attitude  held  throughout  the  world  by 
thousands  against  millions. 

There  were  300  companies  averaging  1 7  persons  each,  com- 
posing 5,100  persons  working  about  30  weeks  during  the  year. 
The  value  of  their  services  at  a  reasonable  estimate  was,  accord- 
ing to  this  salary  list  of  17  persons  (9  actors,  6  actresses,  1 
manager,  1  agent) : 

Leading  man,  $100;  juvenile  man,  $75;  comedian,  $75;  heavy 
man,  $60;  old  man,  $60;  character  actor,  $55;  3  utility  men, 
each,  $25;  leading  lady,  $100;  juvenile  lady,  $75;  comedienne, 
$75;  old  lady,  $50;  2  utility  ladies,  each,  $25;  manager,  $100; 
agent,  $50.    Total,  JU, 000  weekly. 

Average  salary  of  each  during  30  weeks,  $58.82;  average  sal- 
ary of  each  throughout  the  year,  $33.86.  At  this  estimate  the 
300  companies  would  have  received  $9,000,000  for  30  weeks1 
work.  We  have  seen,  however,  according  to  the  financial  state- 
ment of  theatrical  business  in  the  year  1889,  that  the  5,100 
actors  and  managers  received  for  30  weeks1  work  only  $4,000,- 
000,  so  that  the  average  salary  list  of  each  company  (presum- 
ing all  salaries  to  be  really  paid)  was  as  follows : 

Leading  man,  $44.44;  juvenile  man,  $33.33;  comedian,  $33.33; 
heavy  man,  $26.67;  old  man,  $26.67;  character  actor,  $24.44; 
3  utility  men,  each,  $11.11 ;  leading  lady,  $44.44;  juvenile  lady, 
$33.33;  comedienne,  $33.33;  old  lady,  $22.23;  2  utility  ladies, 
each,  $11.12;  manager,  $44.44;  agent,  $22.22.  Total,  $444.44 
weekly.  Average  salary  of  each  during  30  weeks,  $26.14;  aver- 
age salary  of  each  throughout  the  year,  $15.08. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


23 


In  the  face  of  such  small  financial  reward,  and  inclined  by 
the  nature  of  their  occupation  to  be  extravagant,  improvident, 
and  careless,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  actors  were  for  the 
most  part  oppressed  by  that  genteel  poverty  which  causes 
suffering  more  deep  and  humiliating  than  that  of  the  poverty- 
stricken  masses  throughout  the  country.  It  is  doubtful  if 
more  than  500  (10£)  of  the  5,000  possessed  each  a  sum  as  high 
as  $1,000  or  more,  and  it  is  certain  that  fully  50$  did  not  even 
possess  a  savings-bank  book.  Yet  they  were  a  light-hearted 
race  withal,  and  if  some  of  the  men  did  not  pay  their  tailor 
and  board  bills,  or  return  the  money  they  borrowed  during 
the  idle  summer  months,  and  if  some  of  the  women  submitted 
to  indignity  and  insult,  all  might  have  sought  with  good 
reason  to  explain  their  misconduct,  by  quoting  the  words  of 
the  starved  apothecary  who  sold  poison  to  Romeo — "  My  pov- 
erty, but  not  my  will  consents." 


24 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"To  do  anything  well,  may  have  more  merit  than  we  of len  meet  with,  and 
may  be  enough  to  procure  a  man  the  name  of  a  good  actor  from  the  public; 
yet,  in  my  opinion,  it  is  but  still  the  name,  without  tbe  substance.  If  his  talent 
is  in  such  narrow  bounds  that  he  dares  not  step  out  of  tbem  to  look  upon  the 
singularities  of  mankind,  and  cannot  catch  them  in  whatever  form  they  present 
themselves;  if  he  cannot  change  himself  into  several  distinct  persons,  so  as  to 
vary  his  whole  tone  of  voice,  his  motion,  his  look,  and  gesture,  whether  in  high 
or  lower  life,  and  at  the  sametime  keep  close  to  those  variations,  withoutleaving 
the  character  they  singly  belong  to;  if  his  best  skill  falls  short  of  this  capacity, 
what  pretence  have  we  to  call  him  a  complete  master  of  his  art  ?11— Colley 
Gibber. 

"Even  of  the  Romans,  who  were  but  the  imitators  of  the  Greeks,  Cicero  tells 
us  that  the  actors  in  general,  for  the  sake  of  acquiring  the  most  perfect  purity 
and  flexibility  of  voice,  submitted  to  such  a  course  of  uninterrupted  exercises  as 
our  modern  players  would  consider  a  most  intolerable  oppression.  The  display 
of  dexterity  in  the  mimetic  art  without  the  accompaniment  of  words,  was  carried 
by  the  ancients  in  their  pantomimes,  to  a  degree  of  perfection  quite  unknown  to 
the  moderns. ' ' — Schlegel. 

"I  could  wish  that  our  theatre  were  as  narrow  as  the  wire  of  a  rope-dancer, 
that  no  inept  fellow  might  dare  to  venture  on  it;  instead  of  being  as  it  is,  a 
place  where  every  one  discovers  in  himself  capacity  enough  to  flourish  and 
parade.1''— Goethe. 

"  '  Know  thyself '  !  long  enough  has  that  poor  '  self '  of  thine  tormented  thee  ; 
thou  wilt  never  get  to  1  know  1  it,  I  believe  !  think  it  not  thy  business,  this  of 
knowing  thyself  ;  thou  art  an  unknowable  individual :  Know  what  thou  canst 
work  at,  and  work  at  it  like  a  Hercules !  that  will  be  thy  better  plan."— Carlyle. 

"To  be  a  true  artist  is  out  of  the  reach  of  any  but  choice  organizations- 
natures  formed  to  love  perfection  and  to  labor  for  it ;  ready,  like  all  true  lovers, 
to  endure,  to  wait,  to  say,  I  am  not  yet  worthy,  but  she— Art,  my  mistress— is 
worthy,  and  I  will  live  to  merit  her.  You  must  not  be  thinking  of  celebrity,  but 
look  only  at  excellence.  "Whenever  an  artist  has  been  able  to  say  'I  came,  I 
saw,  I  conquered,'  it  has  been  at  an  end  of  patient  practice.  Genius  at  first  is 
little  more  than  a  great  capacity  for  receiving  discipline.''1— George  Eliot. 

"We  do  not  for  a  moment  believe  that  science  will  make  an  artist.  Not  only 
the  poet,  but  also  the  artist  of  every  type,  is  born,  not  made.  What  we  assert 
is,  that  innate  faculty  alone  will  not  suffice,  but  must  have  the  aid  of  organized 
knowledge.  Intuition  will  do  much,  but  it  will  not  do  all.  Only  when  Genius 
is  married  to  Science  can  the  highest  results  be  produced.'" — Herbert  Spencek. 

"The  greatest  actors  are  those  who  are  both  born  and  made,  who  have  both 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


25 


energetic  intelligence  and  the  histrionic  faculty,  and  who  in  addition  to  the  en- 
dowment of  nature,  are  accomplished  in  all  that  the  schools  can  teach.11  — 

BRANDER  3IATTHEWS. 

We  now  come  to  the  artistic  condition  of  the  actor,  and  we 
find  it  not  unlike  the  financial.  As  there  were  few  successful 
actors  and  many  poor  and  needy,  so  there  were  a  small  number 
of  fine  artists,  and  a  great  many  incompetent  and  feebly  en- 
dowed persons.  The  few  good  actors  were  composed  of  the 
older  survivors  of  the  stock-system  with  its  educational  ad- 
vantages, and  several  hundred  younger  actors  who,  without 
having  had  the  practical  training  in  a  stock  company,  acquired 
a  certain  excellence  through  their  natural  dramatic  instinct 
aided  by  energetic  study. 

A  few  extracts  may  be  presented,  showing  the  general  opin- 
ion among  intelligent  critics  of  the  time. 

"I  have  been  in  one  theatre  or  another  almost  every  night  of  my  life  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  and  while  I  have  seen  there  much  that  was  noble,  beautiful 
and  impressive,  I  have  also  seen  an  aggregate  of  insipidity  which  cannot  be  re- 
viewed without  dismay.11-— Wm.  Winter. 

"I  do  not  know  what  is  to  happen  when  Mr.  Booth  dies.  I  do  not  see  a  single 
gleam  of  promise  in  the  skies  for  the  elevation  and  ennobling  of  the  stage. 
The  cardinal  trouble  with  the  younger  men  of  the  American  stage  is  their  lack 
of  application,  their  contempt  for  industry.  Most  of  them  come  to  the  stage 
ill-prepared,  and  lack  the  strength  and  the  impulse  to  overcome  their  defi- 
ciencies.1'—Lawrence  Barrett. 

"  We  have  much  good  acting  in  the  rough,  but  little  that  reaches  the  imagina- 
tion through  the  finer  resources  which  it  is  given  to  the  artist  to  see.  Many  a 
young  actor  with  a  manner  worth  cultivating  has  fallen  into  a  mannerism 
hardened  and  made  disagreeable  by  wrong  methods.11 — Edward  Fuller. 

1  k  The  public  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  has  been  nauseated 
with  poor  plays  and  silly  rubbish,  and  an  almost  universal  complaint  is  made 
that  the  stage  at  the  present  time  harbors  a  great  number  of  incompetent  per- 
formers, whose  ignorance  and  incapacity  has  degraded  the  art  of  acting  to  a 
lamentable  degree.'" — New  York  Dramatic  Mirror. 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  change  caused  by  the  abandon- 
ment of  stock  repertoire  companies,  and  the  establishment  of 
travelling  companies  with  a  single  attraction,  was  the  growing 
importance  of  the  special  actor  of  few  parts,  and  the  gradual 
extinction  of  the  versatile  actor  of  many  parts. 

Though  specialism  and  versatility  were  both  arts  of  such 
value  that  neither  could  be  spared,  the  indications  pointed  to 
the  decay  of  versatility,  especially  in  England  and  America. 
The  two  foremost  English  actors  (Henry  Irving  and  Ellen 
Terry)  were  individual  or  special,  and  even  the  second  in  im- 


26 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


portance  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendal)  were  only  versatile  in  the 
domain  of  refined  society  acting.  In  America,  the  two  most 
eminent  actors  (Booth  and  Jefferson)  had  a  limited  repertoire, 
the  two  really  versatile  actors  (Davenport  and  Warren)  having 
passed  away,  one  long  since,  the  other  but  a  year  or  two.  In 
France  and  Italy  specialism  and  versatility  were  still  fairly 
divided  with  Bernhardt  andSalviniin  the  former  school,  while 
Coquelin  and  Rossi  graced  the  latter.  Germany  alone  adhered 
to  versatility  in  preference  to  specialism,  and  Possart,  Sonnen- 
thal  and  Barnay  played  with  equal  ability  in  the  light  of  com- 
edy or  the  gloom  of  tragedy.  In  America  there  were  two  great 
actresses  of  versatility  (Janauschek  and  Modjeska),  but  they 
were  the  products  of  a  foreign  school. 

That  the  American  stage  in  1890  had  many  fine  actors  is  evi- 
dent when  we  look  over  the  list  of  those  (Lawrence  Barrett, 
W.  J.  Florence,  Charles  Barron,  Mrs.  John  Drew,  Clara  Morris, 
Agnes  Booth  and  others)  who,  with  Edwin  Booth  and  Joseph 
Jefferson,  were  the  ornaments  of  the  art;  but  they  all  were 
graduates  of  the  stock  system,  and  more  or  less  advanced  in 
years. 

The  future  of  the  stage  lay  in  the  hands  of  the  younger 
actors,  and  as  they  had  not  the  advantage  of  that  system 
which  helped  to  produce  so  many  artists,  the  future  of  the 
actor's  art  appeared  rather  dubious  and  unpromising. 

Though  preparatory  education  is  to  a  certain  extent  neces- 
sary in  any  occupation,  experience  and  practice  are  no  doubt 
the  best  teachers.  In  the  stock  days  a  young  actor's  experi- 
ence of  playing  under  traditional  discipline  a  great  number  of 
small  parts  in  one  season,  caused  the  exercise  of  all  the  varied 
instruments  of  expression,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  first  season 
he  had  at  least  finished  his  apprenticeship  and  acquired  the 
first  rudiments  of  his  art.  But  when  the  stock  system  ended, 
this  excellent  school  was  closed,  the  young  actor  played  but 
one  or  two  parts  in  a  season,  and  his  apprenticeship  often 
lasted  five  years  or  more.  As  a  result  of  this  slow  rate  of  prog- 
ress in  education,  the  public  who  paid  to  see  masters  display- 
ing their  craft,  simply  witnessed  players  many  of  whom  were 
getting  their  experience  and  learning  their  art.  Having  but  a 
narrow  field  of  exercise,  and  without  the  traditional  knowledge 
gained  by  observing  the  rehearsals  of  many  plays,  they  franti- 
cally struggled  to  do  the  best  they  knew  how,  and  as  their 
knowledge  was  very  limited,  they  presented  an  aggregate  of 
bad  acting  and  misguided  effort  which  was  really  deplorable. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


27 


This  painfully  lengthened  apprenticeship  had  to  be  endured 
by  the  audience,  whose  protest  would  have  been  as  consistent 
as  that  of  a  living  breathing  man  on  whom  a  medical  student 
attempted  to  experiment,  instead  of  using  for  his  subject  an 
inanimate  carcass. 

AVhen  the  young  actors1  long  if  not  substantial  "  lesson 11  was 
learned,  they  continued  to  play  certain  parts  in  which  they 
gradually  acquired  the  skill  produced  by  constant  exercise  in 
a  narrow  field,  and  looked  forward  in  the  hope  of  proving 
worthy  successors  to  the  great  actors  of  their  time.  But 
though  they  hoped  to  rival  the  great  specialists,  it  was  with- 
out the  advantage  of  that  broad  education  and  experience 
from  which  the  specialism  of  the  existing  great  artists  had 
sprung.  If  Booth's  "  Hamlet "  or  "  Iago  "  seemed  to  be  the  per- 
fection of  specialism,  it  was  because  they  resulted  from  a  broad 
field  of  exercise,  and  if  Jefferson's  wonderful  "Rip"  stood  alone 
in  its  excellence,  it  was  yet  the  climax  of  effort  founded  on  the 
varied  labors  of  the  stock  system.  Irving's  best  impersona- 
tions (Mathias  and  Louis  XI.)  were  presented  after  the  actor 
had  played  500  different  parts.  We  thus  see  that  the  indi- 
vidual excellence  of  these  great  artists  resulted  from  their 
earlier  versatile  efforts,  and  as  the  younger  actors  had  no  op- 
portunity for  this  earlier  education,  it  did  not  seem  likely  that 
they  could  ever  attain  the  excellence  of  their  elders. 

While  the  decline  of  versatility  was  especially  noticeable,  it 
was  apparent  that  certain  qualities  of  histrionic  art  were  not 
cultivated  to  the  extent  they  deserved.  As  voice  and  physical 
expression  were  the  most  important  instruments  of  the  actor, 
the  agents  of  these  qualities,  elocution  and  pantomime,  had 
fallen  into  disrepute.  In  England  the  foremost  actors  were 
not  good  readers,  and  in  America  Edwin  Booth  stood  almost 
alone  as  the  master  of  vocal  expression.  The  perfection  of  his 
elocution  illustrated  the  rarity  of  that  art,  and  while  there 
were  many  excellent  actors  to  compare  with  him  in  general 
impersonation  and  conception  of  character,  there  were  none 
who  could  approach  him  in  poetical  reading  and  vocal  beauty, 
their  fear  of  ranting  and  unnaturalness  causing  the  faults  of 
vocal  weakness  and  cheap  colloquialism.  As  to  pantomime, 
which  in  its  appeal  to  the  eye  so  far  eclipses  painted  scenery 
or  gaudy  costumes,  that  art  seemed  to  have  suffered  a  like 
neglect,  the  French  and  Italians  (notably  Salvhii)  being  its 
best  exponents. 

Another  fault  (for  weakness  in  any  department  of  art  is  a 


28 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


fault)  was  the  lack  of  spirit  and  abandon,  an  undue  amount  of 
repression  and  an  attempted  impression  of  reserve  power;  this 
was  caused  by  a  general  lack  of  knowledge  when  and  how  to 
act,  and  the  fear  of  over-acting  resulted  in  a  large  amount  of 
under-acting. 

As  there  were  no  schools  for  preparatory  education  where 
beginners  might  have  undergone  certain  tests  of  ability,  the 
stage  was  burdened  by  a  large  number  of  persons  who  had 
mistaken  their  vocation,  and  who  were  entirely  unfitted  for 
the  actor's  art.  A  training  school  was  needed  as  a  protection 
against  the  entrance  of  incompetency  into  the  profession,  and 
if  only  those  graduated  from  such  a  school  had  been  permitted 
to  go  on  the  stage,  the  result  would  have  been  most  gratify- 
ing. But  such  a  school  could  not  exist  without  the  financial 
support  of  the  profession  it  protected,  and  as  that  profession 
was  entirely  composed  of  individual  endeavor  without  consid- 
eration for  general  benefits,  it  was  impossible  to  secure  the 
necessary  financial  aid. 

The  one  school  that  did  exist  in  New  York  was  a  private  en- 
terprise, and  though  well  conducted,  it  was  very  limited  in  its 
influence,  being  entirely  dependent  on  those  few  pupils  who 
could  afford  to  pay  a  high  price  for  their  education.  As  the 
financial  results  of  such  a  school  depended  on  the  tuition  fee, 
there  was  danger  of  unworthy  pupils  being  admitted  for  the 
sake  of  the  fee,  while  real  merit  allied  to  poverty  was  excluded. 
One  of  the  most  grievous  results  of  that  liberty  which  enabled 
persons  to  enter  an  art  without  the  diploma  of  ability,  was  the 
disporting  of  society  amateurs,  who  possessing  nothing  but 
wealth,  vanity,  and  sometimes  the  commercial  advantage  of 
notoriety,  held  high  positions,  and  secured  rewards  that  should 
have  gone  to  deserving  merit. 

Having  discussed  the  qualities  of  actors,  we  will  turn  to  the 
companies  most  eminent,  the  four  stock  companies  of  America 
in  1890,  one  in  Boston,  three  in  New  York.  They  were  suc- 
cessful financially  and  artistically,  and  served  to  illustrate  the 
value  of  that  "stock"  system  which  had  been  so  generally 
done  away  with. 

The  Boston  Museum  Co.  had  indeed  lost  its  chief  power 
(Warren)  but  it  was  very  capable  in  modern  plays  and  con- 
tained considerable  old  and  young  talent.  In  New  York  the 
Daly  Co.  was  admirable,  perhaps  unequalled  in  light  modern 
comedy,  though  in  any  other  field  its  efforts  were  hardly  satis- 
factory.   The  Madison  Square  Co.  possessed  some  fine  actors 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


c29 


of  the  "old  school,"  and  though  it  was  liable  to  injury  from 
"long  runs'1  of  farcical  comedy,  etc,  it  probably  stood  first 
among  the  four  in  general  abilit  y.  The  Lyceum  Co.  was  com- 
posed of  some  good  material,  and  in  the  narrow  field  of  modern 
society  plays,  it  was  excellent.  As  to  versatility,  not  one  of 
these  four  companies  could  compare  with  the  German  Co.  that 
played  at  Amberg's  Theatre  during  the  season  of  1889-90, 
and  in  combined  artistic  strength,  they  were  far  behind  the 
stock  company  of  the  Berlin  Theatre,  the  Burg  Theatre  of 
Vienna,  or  the  Com^die  Franchise*  of  Paris. 

AVhile  there  were  only  four  companies  of  importance,  there 
were  over  one  hundred  "  stars 11  who  were  featured  as  special 
attractions,  and  whose  names  were  advertised  far  and  wide. 
With  the  exception  of  about  a  dozen  artists  (who  by  the  extent 
and  value  of  their  achievements  deserved  to  be  ranked  above 
their  colleagues),  these  "  stars 11  were  the  result  of  vanity  or 
commercial  endeavor.  Their  feverish  ambition  was  apparently 
inspired  by  the  idea  of  Caesar  that  it  was  preferable  to  be  "first 
in  an  Iberian  village  than  second  in  Rome ; 11  but  though  a 
Caesar  was  able  to  make  such  an  ambition  fruitful,  it  is  hardly 
applicable  to  men  who  are  not  Caesars.  Certainly  the  power 
and  influence  of  the  first  man  of  importance  in  a  village  is 
not  equal  to  that  of  even  the  fiftieth  man  of  importance  in  a 
great  city.  So  there  were  "stars1'  well  known  in  country 
towns  whose  names  had  never  been  heard  in  the  large  cities, 
and  whose  commercial  endeavors  did  not  amount  to  the  in- 
come of  a  capable  artist  content  to  do  his  work  without  having 
his  name  in  large  letters.  They  did  not  seem  to  understand 
that,  like  William  Warren,  a  man  need  be  no  "star,"  may 
remain  in  one  city  half  a  century,  and  yet  die  beloved  and 
prosperous,  leaving  a  name  that  will  live  when  the  names  of 
many  "  stars"  lie  buried  in  merited  obscurity. 


*  "'The  repertoire  courant— that  is  to  say,  the  pieces  which  the  Comedie 
Francaise  company  can  play  at  any  moment,  all  the  parrs  being  known  before- 
hand, without  any  other  preparation  than  a  summary  rehearsal— includes  about 
one  hundred  plays.1'— Fr.  Sarcey  in  The  Nineteenth  Century,  July,  1879. 


30 


AN  IMAGINARY  H1STOKY  OF 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"The  players,  who  in  general  do  not  concern  themselves  much  ahout  forms 
of  government,  and  whose  whole  care  is  usually  devoted  to  the  peaceable  en- 
tertainment of  their  fellow-citizens.11— Schlegel. 

"We  have  seen  that  Athens,  enthusiastic  in  her  attachment  to  the  fine  arts, 
held  no  circumstances  degrading  which  were  connected  with  them.  iEschylus 
and  Sophocles  were  soldiers  and  statesmen,  3-et  lost  nothing  in  the  opinion  of 
their  countrymen  by  appearing  on  the  public  stage.11— Walter  Scott. 

"  Only  those  who  know  the  supremacy  of  the  intellectual  life— the  life  which 
has  a  seed  of  ennobling  thought  and  purpose  within  it— can  understand  th« 
grief  of  one  who  falls  from  that  serene  activity  into  the  absorbing,  soul-wasting 
struggle  with  worldly  annoyances.11— George  Eliot. 

We  have  commented  on  the  financial  and  artistic  condition 
of  the  stage,  and  now  let  us  turn  to  the  social  life,  to  the  actors 
and  actresses,  not  as  artists  and  workers,  but"  as  men  and 
women. 

Probably  their  little  world  was  not  unlike  the  great  world 
about  them,  with  its  contrasts  of  ignorance  and  intelligence, 
selfishness  and  generosity,  coarseness  and  refinement.  But  it 
differed  from  the  great  world,  which  was  generally  domestic, 
while  theirs  was  "  bohemian.11  Whatever  praises  may  be  sung 
of  "  bohemianism,"  with  all  its  attractions  it  can  hardly  be 
compared  with  domesticity  as  an  element  of  sensible  happiness 
and  progressive  social  life.  Though  the  artistic  nature  is  some- 
times apt  to  rebel  at  the  apparently  narrow  regularity  of 
domestic  life,  the  common  sense  of  men  rebels  more  strongly 
against  the  unhealthy  irregularity  of  "  bohemian  "  life. 

The  actors,  however,  were  "  bohemian  "  not  so  much  from 
choice,  but  by  necessity;  they  were  travellers  during  eight 
months  of  the  year,  and  of  course  unable  to  adopt  a  domestic 
style  of  living. 

To  travel  occasionally  with  a  view  of  seeing  the  world,  and 
after  observing  the  ways  and  occupations  of  men  in  fields  dis- 
tant and  different  from  ours.,  to  turn  Avith  new  ideas  and 
stronger  hope  back  to  our  own  homes,  that  is  truly  delightful. 
But  to  be  compelled  year  after  year  to  traverse  a  certain  terri- 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


31 


tory  according  to  a  fixed  time-table,  and  to  be  deprived  almost 
entirely  of  the  beneficial  influence  of  home  and  society,  that  is 
a  misfortune  hard  to  bear  and  surely  injurious  to  the  morals 
and  character  of  its  victim. 

If  the  lack  of  opportunity  to  play  many  parts  caused  indo- 
lence and  killed  ambition,  so  the  travelling  life  caused  careless- 
ness in  habits  and  weakness  in  morals.  If  there  was  a  greater 
proportion  of  rakes  in  the  theatrical  profession  than  in  any 
other,  it  was  because  there  was  a  smaller  proportion  of  married 
men ;  and  what  attraction  had  marriage  for  men  who  by  the 
nature  of  their  calling  could  not  establish  a  home  for  wife  and 
children?  The  actor's  enjoyment  of  society  was  chiefly  con- 
fined to  the  followers  of  his  own  profession,  not  so  much  be- 
cause of  the  unjust  social  prejudice  against  them  that  still  ex- 
isted, but  because  the  actor's  short  stay  in  any  particular 
place  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  form  any  lasting  ties  of 
acquaintanceship. 

In  spite  of  the  many  disadvantages  which  encumbered  the 
general  progress  of  the  actor,  there  were  still  some  cultured 
minds,  enthusiastic  natures  and  ambitious  lovers  of  art,  who 
stood  forth  as  eminent  exceptions  to  the  rule,  but  it  must  be 
admitted  that  a  considerable  number  of  the  actors  were  entirely 
unworthy  of  their  high  calling,  and  utterly  oblivious  to  the 
dignity  and  importance  of  their  work.  Ignorant,  coarse- 
grained, selfish  and  profane,  deeply  concerned  in  horse-races, 
prize-fights,  or  a  tale  of  bawdry,  they  knew  and  cared  little 
about  art,  literature,  science  or  politics,  while  intellectual 
endeavors  and  refined  enthusiasm  for  the  drama  were  favorite 
objects  of  their  stupid  ridicule.  With  no  love  or  respect  for 
their  profession,  they  simply  regarded  it  as  a  means  of  liveli- 
hood ;  had  they  been  able  to  make  as  much  money  with  as 
little  work  in  some  other  occupation,  they  would  have  turned 
to  it  without  regret. 

As  for  the  actresses,  the  matured  women,  the  blossoming 
girls,  who  followed  the  only  profession  where  both  sexes  are 
equally  necessary,  their  lives  were  subject  to  the  same  misfor- 
tunes that  burdened  their  hardier  associates.  Their  vanity 
was  no  worse  than  man's  conceit,  their  frailty  was  more  than 
equalled  by  the  coarser  misconduct  of  men,  and  their  good 
women  virtuous  amid  temptation,  were  more  deserving  of 
admiration  than  the  most  proper  of  men.  If  the  actor's  lot 
was  far  from  happy,  that  of  the  actress  was  even  less  so;  com- 
pelled to  earn  her  livelihood  amid  the  rough  social  atmos- 


32 


AX  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


phere  of  the  theatre,  dependent  to  a  galling  extent  on  the 
favors  of  managers,  exiled  from  the  protection  of  the  home 
circle,  was  it  any  wonder  that  some  of  the  women  were  corrupt 
and  hardened?  "Was  it  not  a  greater  wonder  that  in  the  midst 
of  such  a  life  so  many  preserved  their  best  qualities  and  pre- 
sented a  charming  picture  of  womanly  courage  and  independ- 
ence? 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE, 


33 


CHAPTER  X. 

"To  amuse  respectable  people,  what  a  strange  task  I  "1— Moliere. 

"As  some  men  invent  a  language  for  their  ideas,  so  these  act  and  mimic 
them  ;  theatrical  imitation  and  figured  representation  is  their  genuine  speech,— 
they  cut  life  into  scenes,  and  carry  it  piecemeal  on  the  boards."—  Talve  on  the 
Elizabethan  Dramatists. 

"  Of  all  the  cants  which  are  canted  in  this  canting  world— though  the  cant  of 
hypocrites  may  be  the  worst,  the  cant  of  criticism  is  the  most  tormenting."— 
Sterne. 

"  Some  critics  are  like  chimney-sweepers :  they  put  out  the  fire  below,  or 
frighten  the  swallows  from  their  nests  above  ;  they  scrape  a  long  time  in  the 
chimney,  cover  themselves  with  soot,  and  bring  nothing  away  but  a  bag  of 
cinders,  and  then  sing  from  the  top  of  the  house  as  if  they  had  built  it."— 
Longfellow. 

In  looking  over  the  American  dramatist's  work,  we  notice 
that  realism  was  aimed  at  more  than  idealism,  and  that  the 
skill  of  the  playwright  nourished,  while  the  literary  art  of  the 
play- writer  languished. 

Constructive  power  was  more  fruitful  than  creative  power, 
and  while  plays  had  grown  more  natural  in  their  imitation  of 
modern  life,  dramatic  literature  had  declined,  and  the  draw- 
ing of  prominent  characters  was  very  limited. 

The  chief  literary  productions  were  Bird's  "Gladiator." 
brought  out  by  Forrest,  and  later  Boker"s  M  Francesca  da 
Rimini,"'  presented  by  Lawrence  Barrett. 

As  to  character  creations,  the  great  actors  were  not  as  well 
supplied  with  fine  parts  as  some  of  the  earlier  English  actors. 
Maeready  had  Bulwer  to  give  him  a  Richelieu  and  .a  Claude 
Melnotte.  and  Knowles  to  furnish  him  with  a  Virginias,  while 
Phelps  had  at  least  inspired  Taylor's  Bertuccio.  In  America 
there  were  indeed  two  important  characters  created,  one  in 
heroic  tragedy,  the  other  in  ideal  domestic  comedy ;  these  were 
Bird's  "  Spartacus n  for  Forrest,  and  Boucicault's  "  Rip  Van 
Winkle  "  for  Jefferson.  The  greatest  actor,  Edwin  Booth,  did 
not  have  in  his  general  repertoire  a  single  prominent  character 
by  an  American  dramatist,  and  only  in  Shakespeare  and  other 
English  writers  could  he  find  parts  worthy  of  his  genius. 
3 


34 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


While  the  literary  quality  was  almost  entirely  neglected, 
there  was  fine  talent  displayed  in  construction,  plot,  situation, 
etc.,  and  some  excellent  plays  written;  probably  the  three 
most  eminent  examples  were  Bronson  Howard's  charming 
comedy  "  The  Henrietta,"  Win.  Gillette's  stirring  war  drama, 
"  Held  by  the  Enemy,11  and  Belasco  and  De  Mille's  natural 
society  play  "The  Wife.11  As  to  intense  emotional  drama, 
nothing  had  been  produced  equal  to  the  English  "  Jim,  the 
Penman, "  by  Young,  or  the  French  "Fedora,"  by  Sardou. 
Perhaps  the  most  valuable  non-literary  creations,  because  of 
their  distinct  American  tone,  were  "  The  Old  Homestead,11  by 
Denman  Thompson  and  George  Ryer,  "  The  County  Fair,11  by 
Charles  Barnard  and  Neil  Burgess,  some  of  Chas.  H.  Hoyt's 
farces,  and  those  excellent  pictures  of  New  York  low  life  by 
Ned  Harrigan.*  The  many  poor  plays  produced  were  chiefly 
written  for  actors  with  more  personality  than  dramatic  abil- 
ity, who  having  made  a  popular  "hit"  launched  forth  as 
"  stars 11  and  imagined  they  could  carry  a  play  if  they  had  the 
important  part.  The  result  was  that  many  "  one-part 11  plays 
were  written,  in  which  the  chief  character  was  considered  at 
the  expense  of  the  play's  general  strength  and  harmony.  + 

While  the  quality  of  plays  was  very  creditable  to  the  Ameri- 
can dramatist,  the  quantity  was  discouragingly  small.  Though 
many  plays  were  written,  only  a  very  few  were  produced  or 
given  a  trial,  and  there  seemed  to  be  but  a  handful  of  able 
dramatists,  because  the  plays  written  were  generally  subjected 
to  the  criticism  of  reading,  instead  of  the  true  test  offered  by 
actual  production.  The  business  system  of  individual  en- 
deavor made  the  production  of  a  play  an  expensive  affair,  and 

*"  We  believe  that  a  national  drama  can  arise  with  us  only  as  it  has  arisen 
with  other  peoples  ;  that  is,  out  of  some  such  wilding  native  growths  as  these 
authors  are  cultivating.11 — W.  D.  Howells  in  Harpers. 

t "  It  is  no  particular  credit  to  a  man  to  have  a  personality  which  interests  and 
amuses  people,  and  about  which  any  journeyman  playwright  can  build  a 
structure  of  situations  and  climaxes.  Such  a  conception  of  his  art,  however, 
is  only  too  common  with  the  actor  of  to-day.  It  is  easy  to  see  the  effect  of  the 
theory  that  the  actor  is  everything  and  the  play  is  nothing  upon  the  dramatic 
literature  of  the  day.  No  one  need  be  surprised  to  find  plays  written  to  order 
lacking  in  inspiration.  When  the  writer  is  thinking  only  of  his  "star,11  how 
can  he  escape  throwing  his  ideas  of  artistic  unity  to  the  winds  ?  The  modern 
drama,  for  the  most  part,  is  developed  from  without  rather  than  from  within  ; 
it  exists  to  display  personal  characteristics,  to  utilize  situations  of  scenic  rather 
than  dramatic  value.  As  a  natural  consequence,  those  playwrights  who  have 
really  contributed  anything  to  the  literature  of  the  stage  within  the  past  two 
decades  may  almost  be  counted  upon  the  fingers  of  one  hand.11— Edward  Ful- 
ler in  the  Dramatic  Mirror. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


35 


usually  a  new  dramatist,  if  he  wished  to  produce  his  play,  had 
to  furnish  the  necessary  capital,  and  assume  the  financial  risk, 
and  as  most  of  the  play- writers  had  no  money  to  invest,  so 
their  plays  remained  unproduced.  On  account  of  the  difficulty 
of  bringing  a  play  before  the  public,  many  talented  writers 
exercised  their  abilities  in  literature  or  journalism,  instead  of 
spending  their  time  in  writing  plays  that  had  so  little  chance 
of  obtaining  a  hearing. 

When  indeed  a  play  was  produced  with  success,  it  frequently 
happened  in  the  course  of  business  transactions  that  early  in 
the  career  of  the  play  its  ownership  would  pass  from  the 
author  to  some  enterprising  manager,  and  in  the  great  financial 
returns  of  such  plays,  the  author's  share  of  the  profits  was 
comparatively  small. 

Having  spoken  of  theatres  and  managers,  of  actors  and  their 
art,  of  dramatists  and  plays,  we  must  not  forget  the  critics, 
their  judgment  that  instructs,  their  censure  that  destroys, 
their  praise  that  encourages.  To  criticise  actors  in  our  midst, 
like  all  criticism  of  living  men,  is  a  difficult,  delicate,  and  usu- 
ally a  thankless  task,  and  to  criticise  a  play  on  which  the  rep- 
utation and  fortune  of  dramatist,  actor  and  manager  almost 
depends,  is  certainly  a  very  important  and  responsible  piece 
of  work. 

The  newspapers  with  their  vast  circulation  were  the  chief 
mediums  of  criticism  on  plays  and  actors,  and  the  general 
public  was  influenced  to  a  great  extent  by  the  voice  of  the 
press.  It  was  therefore  necessary  that  the  critics  employed 
by  the  newspapers  should  possess,  above  all  things,  liberty  to 
express  their  honest  opinions,  ability  and  knowledge  to  treat 
the  subject,  and  a  reasonable  time  to  reflect  on  their  impres- 
sions. Yet  in  these  three  requisites  the  critics  were  for  the 
most  part  deficient,  and  as  a  result  much  of  the  criticism  in- 
dulged in  was  untrue  by  necessity,  valueless  through  igno- 
rance, immature  and  uncertain  because  of  haste  in  its  treat- 
ment. 

The  first  of  these  deficiencies  existed  in  most  of  the  smaller 
towns,  where  the  owners  of  newspapers  regarded  their  the- 
atrical advertisements  as  an  important  item  of  revenue,  and  to 
secure  the  continuance  of  this  revenue  they  catered  to  the 
manager  of  the  theatre  by  generally  praising  his  attractions. 
Their  critics  were  ordered  to  "write  up  a  good  notice,"  and 
hampered  with  such  instructions,  they  were  of  course  not  at 
liberty  to  express  their  honest  opinions.    In  the  large  cities 


36 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


many  of  the  great'  newspapers  were  too  powerful  and  independ- 
ent to  resort  to  such  dishonesty,  but  even  there  certain  un- 
scrupulous journals  were  guilty  of  the  same  fault,  and  much 
supposedly  honest  criticism  was  paid  for  by  the  managers. 

The  second  cause  for  dissatisfaction  with  the  prevailing 
writings  of  critics  was  the  ignorance  and  unfitness  of  many 
engaged  in  the  work;  only  the  best  newspapers  employed  men 
who  made  the  art  of  criticism  their  sole  study  and  occupa- 
tion, and  a  great  amount  of  the  comment  on  theatrical  pro- 
ductions emanated  from  the  average  reporters  of  the  press, 
who  were  clever  enough  to  take  down  the  events  of  the  day 
and  help  to  furnish  general  information  for  the  public,  though 
they  were  far  from  possessing  the  ability  to  pronounce  judg- 
ment on  works  of  art.* 

The  third  evil  in  the  department  of  criticism  was  the  in- 
sufficient time  allowed  for  mental  digest:on,  for  the  recovery 
from  uncertain  immediate  impressions,  and  for  the  sober  reflec- 
tion absolutely  necessary  to  the  critic.  He  was  compelled  to 
express  his  views  often  within  an  hour  after  having  been  pre- 
sented with  the  subject  of  criticism,  and  under  such  conditions 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  be  thorough  in  his  work.  Though 
generally  protested  against,f  the  practice  was  apparently  un- 
avoidable, as  all  the  newspapers  were  expected  to  be  ready 
with  their  criticism  the  morning  after  a  performance,  and  no 
single  paper  could  afford  to  lag  behind  its  contemporaries. 
Probably  the  most  valuable  criticisms  were  those  which  ap- 
peared in  magazines,  some  time  after  the  first  performance  of 
a  play.  The  critics  connected  with  such  publications  had  not 
only  the  advantage  of  sufficient  time  for  their  work,  but  also 
the  opportunity  to  witness  the  subject  of  their  criticism  under 
more  favorable  conditions,  after  the  nervousness  and  uneven- 
ness  of  a  "  first  night"  had  passed  away. 


*  "  The  persons  whom  I  blame  for  the  present  condition  of  theatrical  criticism 
arc  the  proprietors  of  most  of  the  newspapers.  They  profess  to  require  intelli- 
gence and  integrity,  and  they  will  not  pay  the  salaries  which  these  qualities  are 
worth.  To  them  any  raw  reporter  is  expert  enough  to  pronounce  judgment 
upon  a  play  upon  which  §10,000  has  been  expended,  or  an  actor  who  has  studied 
hard  for  years. " — Stephen  Fiske  in  the  Dramatic  Mirror. 

t"It  is  time  to  protest  against  that  system,  born  no  doubt  of  exag  erated 
American  enterprise,  which  enforces  the  writer  for  a  newspaper  in  the  hurried 
space  of  a  few  minutes,  to  inwardly  digest  ami  then  review,  not  only  the  many 
years' work  of  the  writer,  but  the  absolute  capabilities  of  the  artist." — Sydney 
Rosenfeld. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


37 


CHAPTER  XT. 

"When  the  necessity  of  daily  labor  is  removed,  and  the  call  of  social  duty 
fulfilled,  that  of  moderate  and  timely  amusement  claims  its  place  as  a  want  in- 
herent in  our  nature."— Walter  Scott. 

Before  concluding  the  comments  on  the  stage  of  1890,  it 
will  not  be  amiss  to  briefly  consider  the  patrons  of  the  stage, 
the  theatre-going  public,  the  people  who  paid  to  be  entertained 
and  perchance  instructed  by  the  art  of  the  actor  and  dramatist. 
We  have  said  that  the  theatre  was  but  meagrely  attended,  and 
that  as  the  ancient  theatre  appealed  to  the  masses,  the  modern 
theatre  depended  on  the  patronage  of  the  few.  The  Greeks 
paid  a  low  price  for  their  amusements  and  attended  the  theatre 
generally;  the  moderns  paid  a  high  price  for  their  amusements 
and  attended  the  theatre  but  rarely. 

There  seems  to  be  no  other  apparent  reason,  except  this 
difference  in  the  cost  of  art,  why  both  Greeks  and  moderns 
should  not  have  patronized  art  alike,  unless  we  conclude  that 
the  Greeks  were  more  civilized.  This,  however,  is  doubtful, 
and  though  we  must  recognize  that  the  Greeks  were  highly 
cultured  and  produced  many  masterpieces  of  art,  it  does  not 
seem  possible  that  as  a  race  they  were  superior  to  the  Ameri- 
can people  of  1890,  with  their  great  daily  newspapers  and  all 
the  scientific  inventions  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

We  might  indeed  attribute  the  non-encouragement  of  art 
to  lack  of  culture,  if  we  were  considering  Shakespeare's 
period.  At  that  time  the  masses  were  illiterate,  rude  and  war- 
like, printing  was  in  its  infancy  and  modern  civilization  had 
hardly  begun  to  spread  itself. 

Yet  even  in  Shakespeare's  time,  in  spite  of  Puritanical  op- 
position, and  with  little  intelligence  to  appeal  to,  the  theatre 
at  low  prices  of  admission  was  encouraged  by  an  attendance 
considerably  greater  than  in  the  latter  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

The  historian  Taine  tells  us :  "  There  were  already  seven  the- 
atres in  London  in  Shakespeare's  time,  so  brisk  and  universal 
was  the  taste  for  dramatic  representation.11   As  the  popula- 


88 


AX   IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


tion  of  London  in  1G00  was  about  175,000,  this  would  indicate 
one  theatre  for  every  25,000  inhabitants,  while  New  York  in 
1890  with  a  population  of  1,600,000  had  25  theatres,  or  one  for 
every  64,000  inhabitants.  As  to  the  quality  of  theatre-goers  in 
1890,  if  the  general  taste  was  not  very  high  or  delicate,  it  was 
still  on  a  level  with  the  average  quality  of  the  performances 
given.  The  appreciation  of  art  was  not  confined  to  the  so- 
called  "high  class "  of  theatre-goers;  it  also  existed  among  the 
"  lower  classes  "  (called  "  low  "  presumably  because  they  paid  a 
lower  price  for  their  seats). 

As  there  were  intelligent  persons  in  the  orchestra  chairs  who 
were  quick  to  detect  a  fine  touch  by  the  actor,  so  there  were 
enthusiastic  persons  in  the  family  circle  who  were  as  quick  to 
applaud  a  noble  sentiment,  and  as  there  were  nabobs  who 
chatted  in  their  boxes  during  a  performance  so  there  were  dolts 
in  the  gallery  who  preferred  buffoonery  to  comedy,  and  noisy 
rant  to  earnest  naturalness.  The  people  were  fond  of  the 
theatre,  it  was  considered  a  most  sensible  amusement,  and  the 
old  prejudice  against  it  had  almost  entirely  died  out.  A 
clergyman  in  1889  in  his  sermon  echoed  the  opinion  of  many 
who  regarded  the  church  and  stage  with  equal  approval: 
"  Anything  that  adds  to  the  sum  of  human  happiness,  scatter- 
ing the  clouds  of  weariness  and  gloom,  brightening  the 
tedious  hours  of  a  hard  and  toilsome  existence,  is  right,  The 
theatre  is  a  necessity  in  the  social  life  of  the  people."  Yet 
this  theatre  which  the  clergyman  pronounced  a  necessity  in 
the  social  life  of  the  people,  was  so  expensive  as  to  be  in- 
dulged in  very  rarely  if  at  all  by  the  great  army  of  wage- 
workers,  who  could  only  afford  a  small  outlay  for  pleasure. 
But  as  Scott  said,  "amusement  is  a  want  inherent  in  our 
nature.1'  and  the  masses  sought  to  "scatter  the  clouds  of  weari. 
ness  and  gloom  "  in  the  saloon,  where  the  pleasures  of  drink 
were  to  be  had  at  a  low  price.  Had  theatrical  entertainment 
been  as  cheap  as  the  drinking  pleasure,  the  theatre  might  have 
been  a  rival  of  the  saloon,  and  drunkenness  would  certainly 
have  been  less  common.  That  it  was  a  very  insignificant  rival 
is  evident  when  we  observe  the  immense  sum  expended  for 
that  poison  so  pleasant  in  its  taste  and  temporary  effect,  so 
fearful  in  its  influence  and  final  result. 

There  was  expended  by  the  people  of  the  United  States  in 
1889  the  sum  of  $975,OV)0,000  for  alcoholic  beverages,  making 
an  average  in  a  population  of  60,000,000  of  $16.25  for  each 
inhabitant.    While  25  cents  were  paid  into  the  theatres,  $16.25 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


39 


were  spent  in  saloons,  the  people  giving  65  times  as  much 
money  for  the  injurious  pleasures  of  the  drinking  habit  as  for 
the  beneficial  pleasures  of  art. 

The  liquor  traffic  seemed  to  be  as  strong  as  ever,  and  pro- 
hibition or  high-license  advocates  fought  against  it  in  vain. 
Gladstone  pronounced  it  "worse  than  war,  pestilence  and 
famine  combined.11  Lord  Randolph  Churchill  termed  it  "  the 
destructive,  devilish  liquor  traffic,1'  and  Powderly  said  :  "  It  is 
the  one  reason  why  the  laboring  man  does  not  advance  him- 
self." 


40 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"Man  must  pass  from  old  to  new,  from  vain  to  real,  from  mistake  to  fact  ; 
from  what  once  seemed  good,  to  what  now  proves  best.  How  could  man  have 
progression  otherwise  -Browning. 

"The  theatre  is  irresistible  ;  organize  the  theatre  !  We  have  in  England  every- 
thing to  make  us  dissatisfied  with  the  chaotic  and  ineffective  condition  into 
which  our  theatre  has  fallen.  We  have  good  actors  not  a  few  at  the  present 
moment.  But  we  have  been  unlucky  in  the  work  of  organization.  Forget 
your  clap-trap,  and  believe  that  the  state  does  well  to  concern  itself  about 
an  influence  so  important  to  national  life  and  manners  as  the  theatre. 
Form  a  company  out  of  the  materials  ready  to  your  hand  in  your  many  good 
actors.  Let  the  conditions  be  that  a  repertory  is  agreed  upon,  taken  out  of  the 
works  of  Shakespeare  and  out  of  the  volumes  of  the  modern  drama,  and  that 
pieces  from  this  repertory  are  played  a  certain  number  of  times  in  each  season. 
Let  a  school  of  dramatic  elocution  and  declamation  be  instituted  in  connection 
with  your  company  ;  it  may  surprise  you  to  hear  that  elocution  and  declama- 
tion are  things  to  be  taught  and  learned,  and  do  not  come  by  nature,  but  it  is  so. 
The  people  will  have  the  theatre,  then  make  it  a  good  one.  Let  your  chief 
provincial  towns  institute  theatres  such  as  you  institute  in  the  metropolis.  So 
you  will  restore  the  theatre,  and  then  a  modern  drama  of  your  own  will  also, 
probably,  spring  up  among  you."— 3Iatthew  Arnold. 

We  now  approach  the  new  and  present  state  of  affairs,  how 
it  came  to  be  adopted,  and  the  results  it  has  obtained. 

In  March,  181)0,  theatrical  business  was  very  discouraging;  the 
season  was  generally  pronounced  the  worst  ever  experienced ; 
many  managers  had  lost  money  and  were  in  debt;  many  actors 
were  out  of  employment  or  not  receiving  their  salaries  when 
due.  It  was  not  at  all  unusual  to  read  an  item  such  as  this, 
which  appeared  in  the  Chicago  correspondence  of  the  New  York 
Dramatic  Mirror  of  March  loth,  1890 :  "  There  are  now  about 
eight  dramatic  companies  '  resting1  here,  waiting  for  Lent  to 
end.  Business  on  the  road  was  so  bad  that  travelling  expenses 
were  not  made,  let  alone  salaries." 

In  April,  1890,  toward  the  close  of  the  season,  a  meeting  took 
place  in  one  of  the  New  York  theatres,  to  which  all  members 
of  the  profession  were  invited ;  the  purpose  of  this  gathering 
was  to  discuss  the  existing  evils  that  caused  the  depression  in 
business,  and  to  suggest  an  entire  change  in  the  method  of 
providing  amusement  for  the  people. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


41 


An  address  was  delivered  at  this  meeting,  and  though  it  was 
not  an  eloquent  oration,  it  resulted  in  the  adoption  of  the  pres- 
ent system  of  theatrical  business.  The  name  of  the  speaker  has 
escaped  us,  but  he  was  no  doubt  one  of  the  5,000  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  chapters  of  this  book. 

The  speech  was  as  follows : 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  theatrical  profession : 
"I  intend  to  present  for  your  consideration  a  plan  which  has 
for  its  object  the  improvement  socially,  artistically,  and 
financially  of  all  those  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  provid- 
ing polished  amusement  for  the  people,  and  which  also  pro- 
poses a  method  whereby  the  theatre  will  have  a  much  broader 
field  and  a  decidedly  more  extensive  influence  than  it  has  en- 
joyed heretofore.  We  are  all  single-handed  now,  each  of  us 
struggling  for  the  great  necessity,  bread,  and  a  few  for  some- 
thing higher  than  mere  physical  needs.  Though  we  use  no 
sword  or  cannon,  though  no  bloodshed  is  visible,  we  are  not- 
withstanding at  war  with  one  another,  striving  separately  for 
individual  benefits,  instead  of  together  for  the  common  good 
of  each  ci~\er,  and  the  progress  of  the  cause  we  are  disciples  of. 

"  Vehave  been  working  under  a  false  system  which  enriches 
a  few  and  impoverishes  many,  which  is  injuring  the  dramatic 
art  and  withholding  from  its  followers  the  opportunity  of 
education  and  development,  and  which  makes  the  actor  a 
homeless  wanderer  and  a  social  outcast.  You  must  all  recog- 
nize that  these  are  serious  grievances,  and  if  they  really  exist, 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  we  should  seek  to  remove  them. 
I  will  endeavor  to  make  clear  to  you  that  these  grievances  do 
exist. 

"  Firstly,  let  us  consider  the  financial  condition  of  the  actor. 
The  public  paid  during  the  last  year  $15,000,000  for  theatrical 
amusements,  and  our  expense  for  rental  of  theatres,  etc.,  rail- 
road transportation,  advertising,  etc.,  amounted  to  $9,000,000, 
leaving  $6,000,000  for  the  services  of  actors  and  managers.  Out 
of  this  balance,  $2,000,000  were  paid  to  forty  of  our  leading 
lights,  and  the  remaining  $4,000,000  were  divided  among  the 
I  other  5,100  persons  who  comprise  the  theatrical  profession. 
The  average  income  of  each  amounted  to  $15.08  for  each  week 
of  the  year,  but  when  we  consider  that  the  majority  in  this 
working  force  provided  their  own  tools,  in  the  shape  of 
costumes,  wigs,  make-up,  etc.,  and  that  by  the  travelling  sys- 
tem their  living  expenses  were  higher  than  if  they  had  been 
located  in  one  place,  it  will  be  consistent  to  estimate  the  weekly 


42 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


income  of  each  person  at  $12,  or  $624  yearly.  Do  you  think 
that  is  a  high  salary  for  men  and  women  who  practise  a 
noble,  difficult  art,  for  which  nature  only  favors  a  few? 

"  Secondly,  we  will  look  at  our  artistic  condition.  We  have 
among  us  several  hundred  capable  artists,  who  shine  brilliantly 
because  they  are  exceptions  to  the  rule.  The  majority  are 
mediocre,  crude  in  skill,  uneven  in  talent,  limited  in  their 
efforts.  What  is  the  cause  of  this  pitiful  condition  of  art? 
The  answer  is  simple  enough.  We  are  not  taught  how  to 
jjractise  our  art,  we  have  no  system  of  education,  and  each  of 
us  is  left  in  feeble  single-handedness  to  gather  what  pearls  of 
knowledge  we  can  find. 

The  doctor  and  lawyer,  as  well  as  the  mechanic,  have  the  ad- 
vantages of  some  preparatory  education,  but  we  who  practise 
an  art  that  appeals  to  20,000,000  people  annually,  are  left  to  shift 
for  ourselves,  and  learn  without  a  school.  If  actual  work  on 
a  certain  subject  is  the  best  mode  of  instruction,  how  can  the 
young  actor  of  to-day  master  his  art,  when  his  work  is  confined 
to  a  single  part  during  an  entire  season  ?  The  practice  that 
he  needs  for  his  education  is  withheld  from  him  by  a  stupid 
system  adopted  for  present  financial  profit  and  artistic  loss, 
and  future  financial  loss  and  artistic  ruin. 

"  Thirdly,  we  will  consider  our  social  condition,  that  part  of 
our  life  which  concerns  our  personal  happiness,  our  minds  and 
morals.  Can  you  possibly  delude  yourselves  with  the  idea  that 
you  are  enjoying  a  healthy,  sensible  existence,  when  the  na- 
ture of  your  occupation  deprives  you  of  a  home,  of  social  in 
tercourse  with  the  world?  Are  you  not  all  wanderers  during 
eight  months  of  the  year,  living  in  hotels  and  railroad  cars 
among  strangers,  separated  from  those  dearest  to  you?  The 
husband,  wife,  children  and  home  that  make  the  sunshine  of 
life,  are  impossible  among  a  class  of  people  who  with  few  ex- 
ceptions are  compelled  to  travel  about  the  country  like  a 
tribe  of  gypsies.  Suppose,  then,  you  realize  all  these  sad 
conditions,  the  remedy  for  their  cure  seems  still  beyond  you. 
But  if  you  will  think,  and  have  the  courage  to  act,  the  remedy 
is  close  at  hand. 

"  1.  We  must  reduce  the  prices  in  our  theatres,  and  gain  the 
patronage  of  the  masses  instead  of  depending  on  the  luxurious 
few.  By  doing  this  the  dramatic  art  will  grow  much  more  ex- 
tensive in  its  influence,  and  more  profitable  to  its  followers. 

"  2.  We  must  abandon  the  travelling  system  and  make  all  com- 
panies with  a  few  exceptions  stationary.    This  will  cause  a 


THE  AMEKU'AX  THEATRE. 


43 


saving  of  $500,000  for  railroad  expenses,  and  of  another  $500,- 
000  in  the  personal  living  expenses  of  the  profession.  Aside 
from  this  financial  benefit,  there  will  be  an  artistic  gain,  caused 
by  the  repertoire  of  stationary  companies,  which  will  give  an 
actor  the  opportunity  to  play  a  dozen  parts  during  the  season 
instead  of  only  one  part,  and  which  will  give  him  a  higher  am- 
bition and  a  theatrical  education  to  aid  and  promote  his  artis- 
tic development.  Lastly,  the  actor  will  gain  socially  and 
morally;  by  living  in  one  place,  he  can  enjoy  the  benefits  of 
domestic  life,  he  can  found  a  home  and  family,  and  he  can  be- 
come a  citizen  and  resident,  instead  of  what  he  is  now,  an  exile 
and  a  wanderer. 

"  3.  We  must  reduce  the  high  rental  of  theatres,  which  en- 
riches the  real  estate  owner,  makes  dear  to  the  public  the  cost 
of  art,  and  lowers  the  income  of  actors  and  managers. 

"4.  We  must  remove  that  system  of  individualism  which 
enables  forty  of  our  leading  lights  to  receive  an  average  of 
$50,000  each  for  their  services  during  a  season,  while  the  re- 
maining 5,000  of  us  receive  only  $784  each  for  the  same  length 
of  service. 

"  5.  The  profits  of  the  theatrical  business  must  be  shared 
among  all  the  actors,  actresses  and  managers,  each  one's  share 
to  be  in  accordance  with  the  value  of  the  service  rendered, 
that  service  to  be  appraised  according  to  a  salary  list  ranging 
from  not  less  than  $15  per  week  for  the  least  capable,  to  not 
more  than  $500  per  week  for  the  most  capable.  By  this  divi- 
sion and  limitation  of  salaries,  all  of  us  with  a  few  notable  ex- 
ceptions will  be  benefited  financially,  and  a  general  interest 
and  nobler  ambition  will  be  aroused  throughout  the  profes- 
sion. 

"  6.  A  training  school  must  be  established  for  the  preparatory 
education  of  those  who  enter  our  profession,  and  to  protect 
our  working  force  against  overcrowding,  the  school  to  be 
supported  by  the  profession  and  regarded  as  a  necessary  ex- 
pense. By  the  establishment  of  this  school,  we  will  not  only 
adopt  an  educational  system,  the  artistic  value  of  which  has 
been  demonstrated  by  the  great  theatres  of  Europe,  but  we 
make  its  doors  the  only  means  of  entering  our  field,  and  the 
supply  of  new  material  will  be  regulated  according  to  the 
demand. 

"  I  have  now  mentioned  the  chief  remedies  for  the  evils  that 
exist  among  us.  If  then  you  feel  that  it  is  necessary  to  reduce 
the  prices  of  admission,  to  abandon  the  travelling  system,  and 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


to  lower  the  rental  of  our  theatres,  and  if  you  feel  that  it  is 
right  to  protest  against  monopoly,  to  let  each  actor,  actress 
and  manager  share  in  the  profits  according  to  a  just  value  of 
service  rendered,  to  establish  a  training  school  which  will  not 
only  be  an  educational  institute,  but  also  a  protection  against 
the  overcrowding  of  our  profession— if,  I  say,  you  recognize 
the  expediency  and  justice  of  all  this,  the  question  arises,  how 
can  it  be  accomplished? 

"  I  answer  you  with  one  word,  co-operation.  In  that  word 
many  virtues  abide:  peace,  happiness,  justice,  progress, 
strength,  wisdom,  and  love. 

"  In  Bellamy's  4  Looking  Backward '  the  effects  of  co-opera- 
tion are  clearly  explained,  and  that  noble  book  proves  how, 
if  the  idea  were  adopted  and  acted  upon,  it  would  make  our 
nation  prosperous  and  happy.  But  the  realization  of  Bellamy's 
dream  seems  almost  impossible,  because  it  concerns  60,000,000 
people  who  are  now  divided  in  many  classes,  engaged  in  vari- 
ous occupations,  hopelessly  entangled  in  the  struggle  of  the 
few  intelligent  against  the  many  ignorant,  and  the  many  poor 
and  weak  against  the  few  wealthy  and  powerful.  And  yet. 
some  of  our  wisest  men  believe  that  the  desired  and  necessary 
harmony  will  be  attained,  though  it  may  require  a  hundred 
years. 

"  If  then  the  faintest  shadow  of  possibility  exists  that  these 
60,000,000  will  adopt  a  system  of  co-operation,  ought  it  not  to 
be  a  comparatively  easy  task  to  bring  about  the  co-operation 
of  a  mere  handful  of  5,000  men  and  women?  And  as  great  re- 
forms have  small  beginnings  and  gradually  grow,  so  our  co-op- 
eration will  have  its  influence  on  the  world  at  large.  As  Bel- 
lamy says :  '  Even  a  single  industry  organized  on  such  a  basis 
as  described,  and  guaranteeing  to  its  toilers  security,  health, 
safety,  dignity  and  justice,  would  be  an  object  lesson  which 
would  greatly  hasten  the  general  adoption  of  the  system.1 

"  What  does  co-operation  mean  as  applied  to  our  profession  ? 
It  means  5,000  persons  working  under  the  control  of  one  man- 
agement, instead  of  5,000  persons  divided  among  300  different 
managements.  It  means  that  we  will  work  together  for  the 
benefit  of  all,  instead  of  separately  for  the  benefit  of  the  few. 
Let  our  one  management  consist  of  a  president  and  board  of 
directors  composed  of  our  most  eminent  and  honorable  man- 
agers, and  intrust  them  with  the  authority  to  select  and 
arrange  the  working  force. 

"  Let  them  form  stationary  companies,  providing  them  each 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


45 


with  a  stock  of  entertainment  out  of  the  possessions  on  hand. 
Decide  upon  the  reduced  price  of  admission,  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  special  companies,  have  it  apply  to  every 
company  throughout  the  country.  But  all  this  will  be  under- 
stood and  ably  handled  by  our  best  managers,  if  we  will  stand 
together,  and  agree  to  co-operate  in  our  work.  I  leave  you  to 
reflect  on  this  idea,  so  simple  in  itself,  yet  so  grand  in  its  pos- 
sible results. 

"  I  submit  to  you  the  remedy  which,  if  acted  upon,  will  in- 
crease your  worldly  possessions,  improve  you  as  artists,  and 
make  you  happier  men  and  women.  If  you  are  weak  and 
fearful  now,  if  you  have  no  ambition  to  rise  beyond  your 
sphere,  if  you  think  that  single-handed  struggling  is  better 
than  brotherly  co-operative  work,  then  my  speech  to  you  to- 
day has  been  a  mistake. 

"  But  if  you  have  eyes  that  see  and  hearts  that  feel  the  justice 
and  truth  of  co-operation,  then  I  am  certain  that  better  days 
are  in  store  for  us,  for  I  know  you  will  not  hesitate  to  accom- 
plish what  lies  before  you." 


46 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"Then  went  the  jury  out,  whose  names  were  Mr.  Blindman,  Mr.  No-Good, 
Mr.  Liar,  Mr.  Cruelty,  Mr.  Hate-light,  Mr.  Implacable,  who  every  one  gave  in 
his  verdict  against  him."— Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Progress." 

"The  perception  of  truths  is  disturbed  by  many  causes— vanity,  passion, 
fear,  indolence  in  himself,  ignorance  of  the  fitting  means  to  accomplish  what 
he  designs.1' — Bulwer-Lytton. 

"  A  plain  truth  may  be  so  worried  and  mauled  by  fallacies  as  to  get  the  worst 
of  it.'11— George  Eliot. 

"  Man  is  and  always  will  be  a  blockhead  and  dullard  ;  much  readier  to  feel 
and  digest,  than  to  think  and  consider.  Prejudice,  which  he  pretends  to  hate, 
is  his  absolute  law-giver  ;  mere  use  and  wont  every  where  lead  him  by  the  nose.1' 
— Carlyle. 

"We  do  not  take  possession  of  our  ideas,  but  are  possessed  of  them. 
They  master  us  and  force  us  into  the  arena, 
"Where  like  gladiators  we  must  fight  for  them.'" — Heine. 
"  Cowardice  asks,  Is  it  safe  ?  Expediency  asks,  Is  it  politic  ?  Vanity  asks,  Is 
it  popular  ?  but  Conscience  asks,  Is  it  right  V — Punshon. 

The  majority  of  actors  and  managers  were  in  favor  of  this 
proposed  co-operation ;  they  felt  it  was  at  least  worthy  of  a 
trial,  and  that  the  result  could  hardly  be  worse  than  their 
present  condition,  while  it  was  very  possible  that  their  personal 
fortunes  and  well-being  would  be  vastly  improved.  But  while 
many  welcomed  it  as  the  first  ray  of  sunshine  which  was  to 
brighten  the  gloom  and  relieve  the  distress  of  theatrical  busi- 
ness, there  were  others  who  were  indifferent  to  it,  and  some 
who  were  opposed  to  it.  Certain  managers  and  "  stars  "  were 
enjoying  a  larger  income  than  the  highest  salary  to  be  allowed 
by  the  system  of  co-operation  ($500  per  week),  and  it  was 
natural  that  they  should  prefer  the  old  system  of  individual 
endeavor  Avhich  secured  them  such  high  financial  rewards. 
But  there  were  also  among  these  some  generous  and  broad- 
minded  men  who,  having  already  amassed  considerable  for- 
tunes, were  willing  to  accept  a  smaller  return  for  their  future 
services,  when  by  doing  so  they  would  benefit  their  fellow- 
men,  and  help  to  elevate  and  extend  the  profession  and  the 
art. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


47 


Others  opposed  or  indifferent  were  some  of  those  few  who 
were  well  situated,  and  satisfied  to  leave  things  as  they  were ; 
indolent  actors  who  were  averse  to  the  "  stock  "  system  because 
it  entailed  more  work ;  timid  actors  and  managers  who  held 
aloof  without  expressing  their  opinions ;  and  selfish  men  and 
women  who  preferred  individualism  to  fraternity. 

The  majority  in  favor  of  the  idea  was,  nevertheless,  too  large 
to  be  affected  by  a  comparatively  small  opposition,  and  as  the 
opposition  easily  perceived  that  strife  would  be  useless,  the 
co-operation  became  general. 

It  Avas  determined  then  to  establish  the  present  Amusement 
Guild,  under  whose  government  all  members  of  the  profes- 
sion placed  themselves. 

The  chief  officer  of  the  guild,  and  the  head  of  the  managerial 
department,  was  the  president  chosen  by  a  general  election, 
Avhose  term  of  office  was  limited  to  four  years,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  re-election. 

The  nominees  for  this  important  position  could  only  consist 
of  those  few  managers  who  stood  at  the  head  of  the  profession, 
and  who  by  their  experience  and  ability  had  proven  their  fit- 
ness for  the  office.  The  president,  and  the  cabinet  or  staff  of 
officers  he  selected,  were  intrusted  with  the  distribution  and 
management  of  the  working  force,  and  our  next  chapter  will 
narrate  the  extent  of  their  work,  and  the  various  beneficial 
changes  they  effected. 


48 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  Build  to-day,  then,  strong  and  sure, 
With  a  firm  and  ample  base  ; 
And  ascending  and  secure 
Shall  to-morrow  find  its  place.'"— Longfellow. 

Though  the  president  and  board  of  directors  with  their  as- 
sistants had  before  them  a  work  of  great  magnitude,  they 
possessed  the  advantages  of  a  complete  survey  of  the  field, 
absolute  control  of  the  entire  theatrical  business,  and  no  com- 
petition to  thwart  their  efforts.  It  would  be  tedious  to  de- 
scribe in  detail  the  extent  of  their  work,  and  we  will  confine 
ourselves  to  the  important  features.  The  working  force  was 
divided  into  250  companies  averaging  each  about  20  persons 
(11  actors,  7  actresses,  1  manager,  1  assistant  manager),  amount- 
ing to  5,000  persons  who  formerly  composed  300  companies. 
In  this  way  the  artistic  strength  of  the  average  company  was 
increased,  and  the  supply  of  amusements  was  reduced  to  the 
extent  of  50  companies.  The  prices  of  admission  were  lowered 
about  one-half,  causing  a  much  more  numerous  attendance; 
with  the  supply  reduced,  and  the  demand  increased,  it  was 
calculated  that  the  theatres  in  which  the  250  companies  played, 
would  be  easily  filled  during  40  weeks  of  the  year. 

The  division  of  these  companies,  and  the  prices  they  played 
at,  were  as  follows :  5  special  stock  companies.  These  were 
situated  two  in  New  York,  one  in  Philadelphia,  one  in 
Chicago,  and  one  in  Boston.  The  prices  were  25,  50,  75  cents 
and  $1.  These  five  companies  were  composed  of  the  best 
elements  in  the  four  stock  companies  that  formerly  existed, 
with  additional  strength. 

Ten  special  star  companies,  at  the  head  of  which  were  placed 
the  greatest  and  most  famous  of  the  "stars.'1  They  travelled 
and  played  in  the  larger  cities,  at  the  same  prices  as  the  special 
stock  companies  (25,  50,  75  cents  and  $1). 

Twenty-five  star  companies,  at  the  head  of  which  were 
placed  the  best  and  most  successful  of  the  lesser  "stars.1' 
They  travelled,  playing  in  large  cities  and  smaller  towns  at 
25,  35  and  50  cents, 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


49 


Thirty- five  travelling  repertoire  companies.  These  appeared 
only  in  those  smaller  towns  where  there  was  no  stock  company. 
They  were  each  furnished  with  a  repertory  of  10  plays,  and 
their  stay  in  a  town  was  for  one  to  three  nights.  Five  of  these 
companies  with  50  different  plays  were  given  a  "  circuit "  to 
which  their  travels  were  confined  during  a  season,  and  these 
five  companies  alone  furnished  the  entertainment  for  this 
"circuit/'  Seven  of  these  '  circuits"  included  all  the  smaller 
towns  in  the  United  States  worth  visiting.  The  prices  were  15, 
25  and  35  cents.  We  have  mentioned  75  companies,  35  of  which 
were  travellers  over  large  circuits,  35  over  small  circuits,  and  5 
stationary.  The  remaining  175  were  stock  companies,  75  of 
which  played  at  25,  35  and  50  cents,  and  100  at  15.  25  and  35 
cents.  These  175  companies  were  located  in  the  following 
cities : 

New  York  (20  companies),  Brooklyn  (10),  Buffalo  (3), 
Albany  (2),  Rochester  (2),  Syracuse  (1),  Troy  (1),  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  (12),  Pittsburgh  (4),  Jersey  City,  N.  J.  (2),  Newark  (2), 
Wilmington,  Del.  (1),  Boston,  Mass.  (10),  Lowell  (1),  Lynn  (1), 
Springfield  (1),  Worcester  (1),  New  Haven,  Conn.  (2),  Hartford 
(1),  Providence,  R.  I.  (2),  Montreal,  Can.  (2),  Toronto  (2), 
Baltimore,  Md.  (5),  Washington,  D.  C.  (2),  Wheeling,  W.  Va. 
(1),  Savannah,  Ga.  (1),  Atlanta,  Ga.  (1),  Charleston.  S.  C.  (1), 
Mobile,  Ala,  (1),  Richmond,  Va.  (1),  New  Orleans,  La.  (5), 
Galveston,  Texas  (1),  San  Antonio  (1),  Memphis,  Tenn.  (1), 
Nashville  (1),  St.  Louis,  Mo.  (5),  Kansas  City  (3),  Cincinnati, 
Ohio  (5),  Cleveland  (4),  Columbus  (2),  Dayton  (1),  Toledo  (1), 
Chicago,  111.  (15),  Peoria  (1),  Detroit,  Mich.  (3),  Grand  Rapids 
(1),  Milwaukee,  Wis.  (2),  Minneapolis,  Minn.  (3),  St.  Paul  (2), 
Indianapolis,  Ind.  (2),  Evansville  (1),  Fort  Wayne  (1),  Terre 
Haute  (1),  Louisville,  Ky.  (2),  Burlington,  Iowa  (1),  Des  Moines 
(1),  Omaha,  Neb.  (1),  Helena,  Mon.  (1),  Denver,  Col.  (2),  San 
Francisco,  Cal.  (5),  Los  Angeles  (1),  Sacramento  (1),  Seattle, 
Wash.  (1),  Portland,  Ore.  (1).    Total,  175  companies. 

The  theatres  to  be  occupied  by  the  250  companies  for  an 
average  of  40  weeks  during  the  year,  were  rented  by  the  guild; 
as  to  the  stock  of  entertainment,  all  plays,  etc.,  were  placed 
under  the  management  of  the  guild  at  a  royalty  of  $50  per 
week  from  each  company  which  made  use  of  them,  to  be  paid 
to  those  managers,  dramatists  or  actors  who  owned  them.  In 
the  concluding  four  chapters  of  this  book  we  will  speak  of  the 
results  of  the  guild  system,  financially,  artistically,  and  socially, 
and  of  its  general  benefit  to  the  public. 
4 


50 


AN   IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"  What  is  here  ?  Gold  ?  yellow,  glittering,  precious  gold  ? Shakespeare. 
"A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  gained."— Franklin. 

In  noting  that  the  gross  receipts  during  the  year  1891  were 
very  much  more  than  in  1889,  the  reader  must  bear  in  mind, 
that  while  such  a  large  increase  would  have  seemed  strange 
under  the  old  system,  it  was  perfectly  natural  under  the  im- 
proved conditions  of  the  guild.  All  companies  were  now  under 
first-class  management,  working  under  wise  direction,  situated 
so  as  not  to  clash  with  or  injure  one  another;  by  having  the 
entire  theatrical  force  under  good  management,  this  force  be- 
came more  valuable  financially  than  it  had  been. 

Another  cause  for  the  increased  receipts  was  the  employment 
of  the  working  force  during  40  weeks  in  the  year,  instead  of  as 
formerly  during  30  weeks ;  this  longer  season  was  made  possi- 
ble by  the  more  general  patronage  of  theatres  at  reduced  prices, 
and  the  attendance  of  many  who  formerly  did  not  go  to  the  the- 
atre at  all  because  of  the  high  prices. 

The  gross  receipts  of  the  250  companies  in  1891  were  as  follows : 


5  special  stock  companies,  prices  25,  50,  75  cents 

and  $1,  average  $0,000  weekly  for  40  weeks,     .  $1,200,000 

10  special  star  companies,  prices  25,  50,  75  cents  and 

$1,  average  $6,000  weekly  for  40  weeks,     .      .  2,400,000 

75  stock  companies,  prices  25,  35  and  50  cents,  aver- 
age $3,000  weekly  for  40  weeks,    ....  9,000,000 

25  star  companies,  prices  25,  35  and  50  cents,  average 

$3,000  weekly  for  40  weeks,   3,000,000 

100  stock  companies,  prices  15,  25  and  35  cents,  aver- 
age $2,000  weekly  for  40  weeks,    ....  8,000,000 

35  small  town  travelling  repertoire  companies, 
prices  15,  25  and  35  cents,  average  $2,000  weekly 

for  40  weeks,   2,800,000 

250  companies'  gross  receipts, .       .       .  $20,400,000 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


51 


The  expenses  for  1801  were  as  follows : 

1.  Actors1  salaries:  4,500  actors,  composing  250  companies, 
employed  40  weeks : 
10  special  stars,  $500  per  week  for  40  weeks, .       .  $200,000 
25  stars,  $300  per  week  for  40  weeks,      .       .       .  300,000 
250  leading  men,  $00,  $75,  $100,  $125,  $150,  $200,  aver- 
age $100  per  week  for  40  weeks,        .       .       .  1,000,000 
250  juvenile  men,  $40,  $50,  $75,  $100,  $125,  average 
$75  per  week  for  40  weeks,  .... 


250  comedians,  average  $75  per  week  for  40  weeks, 
250  heavy  men,  average  $00  per  week  for  40  weeks, 
250  character  actors,  average  $60  per  week  for  40 

weeks,         .  -  

250  old  men,  average  $60  per  week  for  40  weeks,  . 
250  stage  managers,  average  $60  per  week  for  40 

weeks,  

250  miscellaneous  responsible  actors,  average  $40 

per  week  for  40  weeks,  

715  utility  men,  average  $25  per  week  for  40  weeks, 
250  leading  ladies,  average  $100  per  week  for  40 

weeks,  

250  juvenile  ladies,  average  $75  per  week  for  40 

wreeks,  

250  comediennes,  average  $75  per  week  for  40  weeks 
250  character  actresses,  average  $60  per  week  for  40 

weeks,  

250  old  ladies,  average  $60  per  week  for  40  weeks 
250  miscellaneous  responsible,  average  $40  per  week 

for  40  weeks,  

250  utility  ladies,  average  $25  per  week  for  40  weeks 


750,000 
750,000 
600,000 

600,000 
600,000 

600,000 

400,000 
715,000 

1,000,000 

750,000 
750,000 

600,000 
600,000 

400,000 
250,000 


4,500  actors. 


Salaries, 


$10,865,000 

2.  Musicians'  salaries :  The  average  amount  paid  for  orches- 
tras in  theatres,  was  $250  weekly  by  each  company  during  40 
weeks,  making  a  total  of  $2,500,000.  This  was  considerably 
more  than  had  been  formerly  expended,  and  permitted  the 
orchestras  in  the  average  theatres  to  be  improved  and  strength- 
ened. 


3.  Salaries  and  expense  of  the  guild  board  of  directors : 
President,  $20,000 


Vice-president,  . 

Director  of  theatrical  productions, 


8,000 
15,000 


52 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


Assistant  director  of  theatrical  productions 
Director  of  actors  and  managers,  . 
Assistant  director  of  actors  and  managers, 
Directors  of  travelling  attractions, 
Assistant  director  of  travelling  attractions 
Director  of  foreign  affairs, 
Assistant  director  of  foreign  affairs, 
Treasurer, 
Assistant  treasurer, 
Secretary,  .... 
Assistant  secretary,  . 
Censor  of  plays, 
Assistant  censor  of  plays, 
Legal  representative, 
Rental  of  the  Guild  building. 
Clerks,  stenographers,  etc., 
Miscellaneous  expenses,  . 


$8,000 
15,000 

8,000 
15,000 

8,000 
10,000 

6,000 
10,000 

6,000 
10,000 

6,000 

8,000 

5,000 
10,000 
10,000 
20,000 

2,000 

$200,000 


Total,  . 

4.  Salaries  of  managers :  Each  company  had  its  manager, 
who  was  paid  in  accordance  with  the  importance  of  his  work. 
His  salary  averaged  about  the  same  as  that  of  a  leading  man. 
Thus  250  managers  at  $100  per  week  for  40  weeks  received  $1,- 
000,000.  There  were  also  350  assistant  managers  and  agents, 
average  salary  $50  per  week  during  40  weeks,  $700,000. 


5.  Expense  of  the  protective  training  school : 

Rent,  

Director's  salary,  

Corps  of  instructors : 

5  stage  managers  at  $3,000,  

5  experienced  actors  (tragedian,  comedian,  society 
actor,  melo-dramatic  actor,  operatic  comedian) 
at  $3,000,  .  

3  teachers  of  elocution  and  vocal  expression  at  $3,000, 

2  teachers  of  pantomime  at  $3,000, 

2  fencing  masters  at  $3,000,  .... 

2  dancing  masters  at  $3,000,  .... 

2  teachers  of  athletics  and  gymnastics  at  $3,000 

1  professor  of  dramatic  literature, 

Various  employees,  

Miscellaneous,  


Total,  $100,000 


$20,000 
5,000 

15,000 


15,000 
9,000 
6,000 
6,000 
6,000 
6,000 
3,000 
6,000 
3,000 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


53 


6.  Salaries  of  200  student  actors  at  $15  each  during  40  weeks, 
$120,000.  These  were  the  pupils  of  the  training  school,  who 
were  used  as  supernumeraries  in  the  best  theatres  of  New  York 
and  Brooklyn.  By  thus  enabling  the  students  to  support 
themselves  during  their  educational  term,  it  was  impossible 
for  any  dramatic  talent  to  be  excluded  by  poverty. 

7.  Scenic  artists,  scenery  and  properties:  250  companies 
averaging  $100  each  during  40  weeks,  $1,000,000.  By  this  lib- 
eral allowance,  the  stages  were  tastefully  and  appropriately 
dressed,  Avhile  extreme  scenic  display  was  avoided. 

8.  Stage  carpenters,  scene  shifters,  gas  men,  janitors,  call 
boys,  etc. :  250  companies  averaging  $100  each  during  40  weeks, 
$1,000,000. 

9.  Ushers :  250  companies  averaging  $75  each  during  40  weeks, 
$750,000. 

10.  Royalties  on  plays,  etc. :  About  25  of  the  star  and  stock 
companies  produced  "  legitimate  "  and  certain  standard  plays 
on  which  there  were  no  royalties.  Two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  companies  paid  $50  each  during  40  weeks,  $450,000.  The 
fixed  royalty  of  $50  per  week,  or  $6.25  for  each  of  8  performan- 
ces, Avas  apparently  small,  though  a  successful  play  at  this 
royalty  was  very  remunerative  to  the  owner.  Formerly  a  suc- 
cessful play  would  be  presented  by  two  companies  about  (300 
times  during  a  season.  The  guild  with  its  many  stock  com- 
panies throughout  the  country,  and  by  the  increased  attend- 
ance through  cheap  prices,  was  enabled  to  present  a  successful 
play  profitably  at  least  3,000  times  during  a  season.  At  $6.25 
for  each  performance,  the  author  or  owner  thus  received  $18,- 
750. 

11.  Rental  of  theatres,  insurance  and  repairs :  As  there  were 
only  250  companies  instead  of  300,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  guild 
did  not  need  to  rent  all  theatres,  because  they  were  not  needed. 
As  some  theatres  could  be  dispensed  with  entirely,  the  owners 
found  it  necessary  to  make  their  rental  more  moderate,  and 
though  this  caused  a  loss  to  certain  wealthy  property  owners, 
the  guild  saved  some  $500,000  by  a  lowering  of  about  15$  in 
this  important  item  of  expense.  The  250  companies  paid  for 
rent,  insurance,  and  repairs,  an  average  of  $12,000  each  per 
year,  $3,000,000. 

12.  Light  and  heat  in  theatres.  250  companies  paid  $370,000, 
or  an  average  of  about  $1,500  each. 

13.  Supernumeraries :  In  New  York  and  Brooklyn  the  train- 
ing school  furnished  many  of  the  "  supers 11  and  at  least  50 


54 


AN   IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


companies  used  none  at  all.  The  other  200  companies  aver- 
aged $000  each,  $120,000.  As  the  companies  averaged  18  actors 
each,  the  utility  men  often  did  "silent"  work  which  had  been 
formerly  intrusted  to  awkward,  ill-featured  "supers."  This 
change  was  a  great  relief  to  the  audience. 

14.  Advertising :  As  there  was  no  more  competition  among 
companies,  this  expense  was  greatly  reduced,  advertising  being 
now  indulged  in  not  as  a  piece  of  business  enterprise,  but  as  a 
means  of  informing  the  public  about  the  various  entertain- 
ments, their  nature,  the  prices  of  admission,  etc.  The  news- 
papers were  the  chief  agents  of  this  information,  while  the  old 
custom  of  displaying  show-bills  and  pictorial  printing  was 
almost  entirely  abandoned.  It  was  found  that  $25  per  week 
covered  the  cost  of  all  necessary  advertising  for  one  company, 
which  made  the  expense  of  250  companies  during  40  weeks 
$250,000. 

15.  Railroad  fare,  etc. :  Instead  of  almost  300  companies  trav- 
elling, there  were  now  only  70.  Of  these  35  travelled  over  the 
entire  country,  and  some  remained  4  weeks  or  more  in  large 
cities.  The  35  small-town  companies  had  each  a  limited  "  cir- 
cuit.'1 The  average  railroad  expense  of  these  70  companies 
amounted  to  $50  each  during  40  weeks,  $140,000. 

10.  Theatrical  license:  250  companies  averaging  each  $200, 
$50,000. 

17.  Miscellaneous,  $50,000. 


Recapitulation  of  expenses 

Salaries  of  4,500  actors,   $10,805,000 

Salaries  of  musicians,  .       .       .       ..            .       .  2,500,000 

Salary  list  of  president,  board  of  directors,  etc., 

with  rental  of  guild  bilding,       ....  200,000 

Salaries  of  250  managers   1,000,000 

Salaries  of  350  assistant  managers,  etc.,  .       .       .  700,000 

Salaries  of  200  student  actors,   120,000 

Expense  of  training  school,   100,000 

Scenic  artists,  scenery  and  properties,    .       .       .  1,000,000 

Stage  hands,  etc.,   1,000,000 

Ushers,   750,000 

Royalties  on  plays,  etc.,   450,000 

Rental  of  theatres,  insurance,  and  repairs,     .       .  3,000,000 

Light  and  heat  in  theatres,   370,000 

Supernumeraries,   120,000 

Advertising,  250,000 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE.  55 

Railroad  expense,   $140,000 

Theatrical  license,   50,000 

Miscellaneous,   50,000 

Total  expense   $22, 665, 000 

Gross  receipts,   26,400,000 

Profit,   $8,735,000 


Salary  list  of  actors,  managers,  assistant  managers,  presi- 
dent and  board  of  directors,  $12,723,000.  Dividend  on  this 
salary  list  with  $3,735,000  profit,  about  30^.  Annual  earnings 
of  5,100  actors  and  managers:  Salaries,  $12,723,000;  profit,  $3,- 
735,000;  total,  $10,458,00.0.  Average  income  of  each  annually, 
$3,227.06;  average  income  of  each  weekly  throughout  the  year, 
$02.06. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  5,100  actors  and  managers  who  under 
the  old  system  had  an  average  weekly  income  throughout  the 
year  amounting  to  $15.08  received  under  the  new  system  $62.06, 
a  result  brought  about  by — 1.  The  reducing  of  prices  and 
increase  of  public  support.  2.  The  artistic  strengthening  of 
companies  by  forming  250  out  of  300  companies,  and  the  con- 
sequent decrease  in  supply  to  the  extent  of  50  companies.  3. 
A  co-operation  with  its  economical  wholesale  system  as  com- 
pared to  the  expensive  system  of  individual  effort.  4.  A  just 
division  of  the  profits  according  to  the  value  of  services  ren- 
dered. 

The  savings  effected  by  the  guild  were  very  important,  and 
of  course  increased  the  profits  of  actors  and  managers.  These 
savings  for  the  year  1891  were  as  follows: 

1.  Railroad  expense :  This  was  formerly,  when  300  companies 
travelled,  about  $750,000.  By  the  new  system  with  its  70  trav- 
elling companies  and  its  smaller  "circuits,"  this  expense  was 
reduced  to  $140,000.  causing  a  saving  of  $610,000. 

2.  Cost  of  living:  In  1890  there  were  some  5,000  actors  and 
managers  moving  from  city  to  city,  seldom  remaining  in  one 
place  more  than  a  Aveek.  It  was  not  convenient  for  so  short 
a  time  to  find  comfortable  quarters  except  in  hotels,  where 
the  charges  for  food  and  lodging  were  much  higher  than  in 
domestic  life.  These  5,000  were  each  paying  an  average  of 
$1.50  per  day,  or  $10.50  weekly  during  30  weeks.  By  the  estab- 
lishment of  180  stationary  companies,  almost  4,000  persons  were 
enabled  to  secure  as  good  board  and  lodging  for  $7  per  week, 
as  that  which  had  previously  cost  $10.50.    Thus  a  saving  was 


56 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


effected  by  4,000  persons  of  $3.50  per  week  for  30  weeks.  Total, 
$420,000. 

3.  Cost  of  travelling  baggage,  etc. :  The  4,000  who  had  for- 
merly travelled,  were  now  relieved  of  the  expense  of  trunks 
and  smaller  baggage.  This  amounted  to  an  average  of  $10 
each.    Total,  $40,000. 

4.  Advertising  expense:  Formerly  the  extensive  use  of  litho- 
graphs, show-bills,  etc.,  made  the  cost  of  advertising  amount 
to  $750,000.  By  the  almost  entire  abandonment  of  any  adver- 
tising except  in  newspapers,  the  expense  was  reduced  to  $250,- 
000,  causing  a  saving  of  $500,000. 

5.  Special  advertising  in  dramatic  newspapers:  Formerly 
considerable  advertising  was  done  in  the  dramatic  newspapers 
for  business  purposes,  which  alone  concerned  the  profession 
and  not  the  public.  These  advertisements  were  about  actors 
out  of  employment,  etc.,  or  about  theatres  and  special  attrac- 
tions; in  fact,  they  were  all  the  outcome  of  individual  endeavor. 
The  guild  required  no  other  advertising  except  that  which  ap- 
pealed to  the  public,  and  the  dramatic  newspapers  were  ad- 
vertised in  precisely  as  in  other  newspapers.  In  this  way  a 
saving  of  about  $50,000  Avas  caused.  This  reduction  in  their 
advertising  departments  was  a  loss  to  the  dramatic  newspapers, 
but  it  was  overbalanced  by  the  gains  resulting  from  their  in- 
creased circulation.  Public  interest  in  the  theatre  was  now 
greater  than  ever,  and  the  dramatic  papers  were  the  best  me- 
diums of  information  on  this  subject.  Actors  and  managers 
also  purchased  dramatic  papers  more  generally  than  ever,  be- 
cause they  were  interested  in  the  progress  of  a  business  which 
they  were  financially  concerned  in. 

6.  Rental  of  theatres :  The  saving  in  this  expense  we  have 
previously  mentioned  as  amounting  to  $500,000. 

7.  Suspension  of  the  "  free  list "  and  banishment  of  the  "  dead- 
head:1' Formerly  the  "  dead-head,"  though  recognized  as  an 
expensive  nuisance,  was  unavoidable.  Free  passes  were  given 
in  payment  of  advertising  privileges,  and  often  persons  were 
admitted  to  help  fill  the  theatre,  when  an  attraction  wished  to 
create  an  impression  of  large  audiences.  Actors  were  permitted 
to  enter  theatres  without  paying  the  price  of  admission,  and 
this  practice  would  have  been  laudable  if  it  had  applied  to  all 
actors ;  but  by  a  politic  idea  of  courtesy,  the  well-known  and 
prosperous  actors  were  usually  welcomed,  while  obscure  and 
poor  actors  were  repelled.  When  the  guild  assumed  control 
there  were  no  advertising  privileges  needed,  and  the  prices  were 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


57 


so  low  that  actors,  etc.,  were  willing  to  pay  and  preserve  their 
dignity  instead  of  encouraging  a  false  idea  of  courtesy,  which 
was  really  more  like  beggary.  Only  critics  were  given  seats 
gratis,  because  their  presence  was  necessary.  Formerly  the 
value  of  free  admissions  averaged  for  30  weeks  about  $20  each 
per  week  for  150  companies,  and  $10  each  per  week  for  150 
companies,  making  a  total  of  $135,000.  By  the  entire  abandon- 
ment of  this  practice,  the  guild  virtually  saved  that  amount. 

8.  Fees  to  dramatic  agencies :  ■  This  expense  had  been  about 
$20,000  annually,  and  was  chiefly  paid  by  actors  who  depended 
on  the  agencies  to  secure  employment  for  them.  When  the 
guild  became  the  sole  employer,  these  agencies  were  rendered 
unnecessary,  but  the  dramatic  agents  were  employed  by  the 
guild,  as  their  knowledge  of  actors1  abilities,  etc.,  was  valuable 
in  helping  to  distribute  the  working  force. 


Recapitulation  of  savings : 

In  railroad  expense,   $610,000 

In  cost  of  living,                                             .       .  420,000 

In  cost  of  travelling  baggage,  etc.,     ....  40,000 

In  advertising  expense,   500,000 

In  rental  of  theatres,   500,000 

Special  advertising  in  dramatic  newspapers,    .       .  50,000 

Suspension  of  the  "  free  list,"   135,000 

Fees  to  dramatic  agencies,   20,000 

Total  savings,   $2,275,000 


Such  were  the  magnificent  financial  results  of  combined 
strength  and  co-operative  endeavor,  as  compared  to  the  old 
system  of  individual  effort  and  destructive  competition. 


58 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"  The  world  of  art  is  an  ideal  world, 
The  world  I  love,  and  that  I  fain  would  live  in  ; 
So  speak  to  me  of  artists  and  of  art/'1— Longfellow. 

The  actor  now  took  a  new  interest  in  his  work.  He  not  only, 
had  more  parts  to  play  and  a  better  opportunity  to  exercise 
his  ability,  but  he  felt  the  responsibility  of  being  connected 
with  a  great  effort,  the  fruits  of  which  he  would  have  a  share 
in.  This  feeling  gave  more  energy  and  earnestness  to  his  work, 
and  these  qualities  increased  his  artistic  value.  The  stock 
companies  offered  so  many  opportunities,  especially  to  the 
younger  and  undeveloped  actors,  that  much  talent  was  brought 
to  light,  the  existence  of  which  had  previously  been  doubted. 
The  younger  actors  who  Avere  in  need  of  a  varied  experience 
were  consigned  to  the  smaller  cities  where  there  was  only  one 
stock  company.  In  those  companies  it  was  necessary  to 
change  the  bill  very  often;  and  while  the  experience  gained 
was  most  excellent,  the  labor  was  much  greater  than  in  large 
cities. 

The  older  actors  in  such  companies  were  relieved  after  a 
season  or  two,  and  transferred  to  larger  cities,  where  their  work 
was  lighter.  All  graduates  of  the  training  school  were  made 
to  serve  about  three  years  in  these  companies,  where  the  bill 
was  so  frequently  changed;  by  this  they  gained  the  real  edu- 
cation for  which  the  school  had  only  prepared  them. 

There  were  now  no  more  "  barn-stormers 11  and  "  play-pirates.11 
The  35  small-town  travelling  companies  were  well  equipped 
Avith  the  successful  plays  of  the  day,  on  which  royalties  were 
being  paid,  and  they  seldom  visited  a  town  of  less  than  10,000 
inhabitants.  In  these  smaller  towns  the  audience  was  large 
when  a  performance  was  given,  not  only  because  the  price  was 
low  and  the  entertainment  good,  but  chiefly  because  the  sup- 
ply of  theatricals  was  under  sensible  control,  and  the  town 
was  not  "  played  to  death.11  Formerly  a  town  with  a  popula- 
tion of  ten  or  fifteen  thousand,  was  visited  by  twTo  or  three  al- 
tractions  in  one  week,  or  .some  ten-cent  and  twenty-cent  rep- 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


59 


ertoire  company  of  wretched  quality  would  remain  an  entire 
week.  Under  the  guild  management  such  a  town  was  visited 
once  a  week  by  a  well-trained  repertoire  company,  which  pre- 
sented one  of  its  plays  at  13,  25  and  35  cents.  The  theatres  in 
these  towns  being  now  more  profitable,  enabled  the  guild  to 
expend  some  money  on  stage  decorations  and  general  improve- 
ments, all  of  which  was  appreciated  by  the  public.  In  the 
larger  cities  an  average  play  easily  ran  from  two  to  six  weeks, 
and  a  change  of  bill  occurred  about  every  four  weeks ;  the  re- 
duction of  prices  permitted  a  play  to  be  presented  profitably 
twice  as  often  as  formerly,  and  in  large  cities  like  New  York  a 
successful  play  which  formerly  ran  150  nights,  was  now  kept 
on  for  an  entire  season.  Those  companies  connected  with 
such  long  "runs,11  were  used  for  the  trial  performances  of  new 
plays.  When  the  play-reading  department  of  the  guild  de- 
cided that  a  play  was  worthy  of  trial,  it  was  put  in  rehearsal 
with  one  of  the  "  long-run 11  companies,  and  produced  (under 
the  personal  direction  of  the  author)  at  a  special  trial  mati- 
nee. The  audience  at  such  a  matinee  consisted  only  of  invited 
guests,  the  newspaper  critics,  managers,  actors,  and  the  officers 
of  the  guild.  By  an  agreement  made  with  the  newspapers, 
the  criticisms  on  these  performances  were  not  published,  but 
handed  over  to  the  guild;  by  the  impression  the  play  made  on 
the  audience,  and  according  to  the  general  tone  of  the  criti- 
cisms handed  in,  the  guild  officers  decided  whether  the  play 
should  be  accepted  for  regular  production.  If  the  decision 
was  favorable,  the  play  was  added  to  the  stock  of  theatrical 
material,  and  placed  for  general  use  throughout  the  country. 
In  this  way  the  expensive  public  production  of  a  failure  was 
to  a  great  extent  avoided.  On  the  public  production  of  those 
plays  which  had  passed  the  test  of  the  trial  matinee,  the  news- 
paper criticisms  in  large  cities  did  not  appear  until  a  fixed 
period  of  several  days  after  the  first  performance,  so  that  the 
critics  had  more  time  to  digest  their  views.  This  was  due  to 
another  arrangement  between  the  newspapers  and  the  guild ; 
the  concentration  of  control  made  it  possible  for  the  guild  to 
effect  these  arrangements,  which  would  have  been  impossible 
when  the  theatrical  business  was  separately  conducted  by  va- 
rious managers  who  did  not  work  in  concert  with  each  other. 
As  there  were  at  least  twenty  companies  in  the  large  cities, 
engaged  with  plays  having  a  long  "run,11  they  were  able  to 
test  by  this  method  at  least  a  hundred  new  plays  during  a  sea- 
son, resulting  not  only  in  much  profitable  material  for  the 


60 


AN  IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


guild,  but  it  soon  disclosed  the  fact  that  America  possessed 
more  than  a  mere  handful  of  dramatists. 

While  the  domestic  field  was  thus  encouragingly  cultivated, 
the  English,  French,  and  German  dramatists  were  not  neg- 
lected; the  director  of  foreign  affairs  secured  all  European 
successes  at  the  fixed  royalty  of  the  guild.  He  also  made  en- 
gagements with  celebrated  foreign  artists,  whom  the  American 
public  wished  to  see,  and  who  would  prove  profitable  for  the 
guild. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  stock  of  theatrical  entertainment, 
the  guild  found  it  possible  to  produce  many  of  the  standard 
plays  and  successes  of  the  past.  Formerly  a  single  company 
could  not  handle  an  old  play  advantageously,  but  the  stock 
system,  and  the  increase  of  theatre-goers,  enabled  the  guild  to 
present  the  best  of  old  material  and  derive  a  profit  from  it. 

Under  the  new  distribution  of  employment  the  quality  of 
acting  began  at  once  to  improve ;  the  ability  of  the  actor  was 
cultivated  by  more  exercise  in  a  varied  field,  and  by  being 
placed  on  the  whole  under  better  stage  management  than  for- 
merly. 

Many  unimportant  "  stars"  w'ho  had  been  wasting  their  tal- 
ents without  profit  in  country  towns,  were  made  valuable  use 
of  as  "  leading "  people,  and  if  their  names  were  no  longer 
prominently  displayed,  they  were  at  least  relieved  of  their 
former  business  worriments,  and  assured  a  good  salary  for  a 
long  season. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


61 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"  Care  for  one's  self  and  one's  family,  anxiety  as  to  livelihood,  the  strain  of  a 
ceaseless  battle  for  life— all  these  influences,  which  once  did  so  much  to  wreck 
the  minds  and  bodies  of  men  and  women,  are  known  no  more.11— Bellamy. 

It  is  gratifying  to  consider  the  social  condition  of  the  actors 
under  the  guild  management,  as  compared  to  their  condition 
under  the  old  system.  With  an  income  increased  fourfold, 
and  with  the  majority  living  in  one  place  instead  of  travelling 
about  the  country,  it  was  not  surprising  that  as  men  and 
women,  the  actors,  actresses,  and  managers,  were  vastly  im- 
proved. Being  in  a  better  financial  state  than  ever  before, 
theatrical  people  as  a  class  grew  to  be  more  substantial  and 
less  improvident ;  the  men  had  more  dignity,  the  women  more 
independence.  The  majority  living  the  settled  domestic  life, 
instead  of  the  wandering  bohemian  life,  there  was  less  immor- 
ality, more  marriages,  and  more  homes.  Actors  became  citi- 
zens and  acquired  property  which  they  could  oversee  and  im- 
prove. 

As  the  working  season  was  now  forty  weeks,  and  as  the  stock 
system  entailed  more  rehearsals  and  studious  preparation, 
there  was  less  idleness  and  dissipation  among  actors.  After  a 
season  of  hard  labor  and  with  a  sure  financial  reward,  the  va- 
cation of  10  or  12  weeks  was  looked  forward  to  with  pleasure; 
the  spectacle  of  hundreds  hanging  about  dramatic  agencies  all 
summer,  looking  for  doubtful  employment,  was  no  more  a  blot 
on  the  dignity  of  the  profession. 

There  was  no  discharge  for  incompetency  or  some  small 
offence,  but  merely  a  change  to  a  lower  position,  while  merit 
was  rewarded  with  promotion.  The  guild  had  indeed  the 
power  to  discharge  any  person,  and  as  this  meant  a  complete 
withdrawal  from  the  dramatic  profession,  it  was  only  exer- 
cised in  extreme  cases,  such  as  dishonesty  in  handling  the  funds 
of  the  guild,  or  constant  neglect  of  duty. 

An  excellent  artistic  influence  on  actors  in  large  cities  was 
effected  by  giving  matinees  other  than  Saturday,  on  Tuesday, 
Wednesday  and  Thursday.  This  not  only  was  more  acceptable 


62 


AN    IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF 


to  the  public,  but  it  gave  actors  the  opportunity  to  see  each 
other  work,  which  as  an  educational  element  had  been  denied 
them  by  the  old  custom  of  making-  Wednesday  the  general 
matinee  day  beside  Saturday. 

The  public  naturally  welcomed  the  reduction  of  prices,  and 
by  its  cheapness,  the  theatre  secured  the  patronage  of  the  mid- 
dle and  lower  classes;  those  who  formerly  went  once  to  the 
theatre  and  paid  seventy-five  cents,  now  went  twice,  and  re- 
ceived double  the  enjoyment  for  the  same  price,  while  many 
wage-workers  to  whom  the  theatre  had  seemed  an  expensive 
luxury  beyond  their  means,  were  now  found  willing  to  pay 
what  they  considered  a  reasonable  price. 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE, 


08 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  What  we  like  determines  what  we  are,  and  is  the  sign  of  what  we  are  ;  and 
to  teach  taste  is  inevitably  to  form  character."— John  Ruskin. 

"  Perhaps  we  may  yet,  when  the  people  really  come  to  their  own,  have  a 
municipal  theatre  in  every  city  and  town,  where  the  best  dramas  may  be  seen 
for  a  tenth  of  the  price  one  now  pays  to  see  the  worst."— W.  D.  Howells. 

In  this  final  chapter  we  will  speak  of  the  present  state  of 
affairs  in  the  year  1900.  The  guild  now  controls  the  musical 
as  well  as  the  dramatic  art,  and  its  financial  growth  has  been 
rapid  and  sure.  So  far  there  has  been  but  one  losing  year, 
when  the  deficiency  was  met  by  a  tax  on  the  salary-list  of  those 
entitled  to  a  share  in  the  profits.  The  loss  being  shared  by 
all,  the  burden  was  made  comparatively  easy  to  bear,  and  no 
one  person  really  suffered  from  a  disturbed  and  unfortunate 
theatrical  season,  which  under  the  old  methods  of  individual- 
ism would  have  thrown  many  out  of  employment,  and  caused 
much  misery  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession. 

The  dramatic  art  is  more  fruitful  than  ever,  there  are  more 
good  actors  than  formerly,  more  fine  plays  written,  and  the 
future  presents  an  encouraging  aspect.  Though  we  now  pos- 
sess a  theatre  in  New  York  which  is  regarded  as  superior  to 
any  in  Europe,  and  though  the  stage  has  a  dignity  and  influ- 
ence it  never  before  enjoyed,  it  can  hardly  expect  to  attain  the 
highest  excellence  for  some  years  to  come.  The  dramatic  pro- 
fession still  contains  many  elements  of  the  old  system,  when 
the  stage  was  open  to  those  without  natural  gifts,  and  when 
there  was  no  education  enforced.  When  the  present  genera- 
tion has  passed  away,  the  stage  will  not  contain  one  person  who 
has  not  passed  the  test  of  ability,  and  who  has  not  undergone 
a  complete  theatrical  education,  and  it  is  reasonable  to  assume 
that  the  stage  will  then  have  attained  its  artistic  perfection. 

The  educational  influence  of  the  theatre  over  the  masses 
will  increase  as  it  extends.  The  guild  expects  soon  to  make  a 
further  reduction  in  the  prices  of  admission,  and  though  the 
realization  of  the  hope  Mr.  Howells  expressed  for  a  really  cheap 
theatre  is  still  far  off,  we  are  at  least  approaching  it. 

Daring  the  last  few  years  the  liquor  traffic  has  declined 


64     IMAGINARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 


slowly  but  steadily;  this  has  been  caused  by  the  theatre  as  a 
means  of  recreation  and  pleasure  being  offered  to  the  masses. 
The  saloon  no  longer  is  the  only  place  where  the  poor  man 
can  forget  his  cares.  While  prohibition  sought  to  deprive  and 
high  license  to  restrict,  and  while  both  failed  in  their  efforts, 
the  theatre  is  gradually  drawing  the  masses  from  the  saloon 
to  its  own  doors,  and  by  substituting  a  healthy  pleasure  for  an 
evil  one,  the  people  are  being  emancipated  from  the  greatest 
of  human  vices. 

In  the  adoption  of  the  co-operative  system  by  other  profes- 
sions and  industries,  and  in  the  decline  of  the  drinking  habit, 
the  future  happiness  of  the  race  is  becoming  more  and  more 
possible. 

Mr.  Bellamy's  prophecy  now  indeed  seems  reasonable,  and 
the  twentieth  century  will  no  doubt  be  the  most  important 
in  the  history  of  mankind. 

We  are  sure  that  the  golden  age,  not  far  distant,  will  recog- 
nize how  much  of  its  happiness  and  prosperity  is  due  to  thf* 
early  influence  and  example  of  the  American  theatre. 


THE  END. 


